


Zodiac

by sincity007



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, dream is really stupid, george is the smart one for once, lots of stupidity, sapnap is still superior
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 23,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29257971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincity007/pseuds/sincity007
Summary: In a world where everyone was divided by their Zodiac sign, George meets someone who could potentially destroy him.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 38
Kudos: 115





	1. Chapter One

This life was not meant for him.

George was glaring at the boys in front of him, painfully aware of how cornered he was - there was absolutely no way out of this. 

One of the boys sneered, the sign of the lion glowing brightly on his wrist in his excitement. A Leo, George thought, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

He hated Leo’s.

“You’re not supposed to be out here, Scorpio,” the boy said, spitting out George’s sign like it was the foulest word he could ever think to say. “Leo’s only on this side of town. You know the rules.”

George huffed and pressed his back further against the brick wall behind them - the boy's breath smelled worse than the alley they were in. “I’m visiting someone,” he said coldly, eyes narrowing. The other boy drew closer, getting in his face.

“We don’t care,” he snapped, reaching out to grab a handful of George’s hair and giving it a firm yank. George hissed and grabbed the boy’s wrist to try to pull him off. His efforts were futile. 

“We don’t want you over here,” the other said, grabbing George’s other wrist and twisting it painfully in a direction it wasn’t supposed to bend. George whined through his teeth as pain shot up and down his arm, like needles stabbing into his skin.

“It’s not illegal,” George bit out, too stubborn to know when to shut his mouth. He kicked out a foot, grinning as it made contact with someone’s shin. The man twisting his hair between his fingers yelped and loosened his grip minutely.

That was all George needed. He took his opening while he could, using his free hand to shove roughly at the other boy, forcing him back a few steps and booking it down the alleyway.

But George had never been the fastest. He cried out in surprise as arms wrapped around him and tackled him to the ground, his nose colliding painfully with the pavement. He groaned softly and pressed his hand against the flow of blood that now fell from it. The arms around his waist retracted and a weight settled on George’s back, gripping at his hair again to pull his head back aggressively. 

“You’re really terrible at listening, aren’t you?” the boy said condescendingly, shoving George’s head back down against the ground. George inhaled sharply as the asphalt cut into the tender skin of his cheeks. “We said your Sign doesn’t belong here. Are all Scorpio’s this dumb?”

“We’re actually quite smart,” George remarked, his voice muffled from his face being pressed harshly to the ground. “Bill Gates, Pablo Picasso, Theodore Roosevelt - they’re Scorpio’s.”

The second boy, who had been hanging back to let his friend do the talking, stepped forward to grind his heel against the back of George’s neck, making it difficult for the Brit to breathe. 

“Shut your mouth,” he snapped. George gasped for air when the boy retreated, watching the mouth of the alleyway for anyone who might possibly walk by. 

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” the Leo on his back breathed, leaning down to speak into George’s ear. His head was wrenched back further, making him cry out. “We’re going to teach you a lesson, and then maybe, if you’re smart, you’ll stay out of this side of the city. Got it?”

“Andy,” the boy at the end of the alley called suddenly, jogging back over to them and grabbing his friend by the arm. “Someone’s coming, we need to go.” 

Andy shoved his friend away and George’s eyes grew large with panic as he pulled a small switchblade from his jacket pocket, pressing it close to the skin on his throat. “I’ll finish this,” he said angrily, watching with interest as a small bead of blood fell down George’s neck. “You get out of here. I’ll catch up.”

“Wait!” George said, fear swelling in his throat like a tidal wave. “Please - I won’t come back here, just let me go!”

Andy sniggered and pushed the blade deeper into his skin. “It’s a little too late for that, isn’t it?” 

George really thought that was the end for him. Andy would cut his throat and leave him there, killed by a filthy Leo, of all things. His parents would be so disappointed. But of course, things were never that easy for George.

“Hey! Get off of him!”

Hope and a bit of dread spread through George’s body. Andy swore loudly and held tight to George’s hair, smashing his head on the ground with a sickening crunch.

Everything went black.

Was he dead? 

George’s head hurt horribly, and he squinted as he woke, bright lights making him wince. He was swaddled with blankets that were as silky as water, cool to the touch and achingly soft on his skin. He sat up slowly, his back and his neck sore from being forced on the ground earlier. He blinked.

Where the fuck was he?

“You’re awake!”

George’s head snapped to the left, too fast apparently as his vision immediately went blurry. A man stood in the doorway of what was quite obviously a bedroom. He held a glass of water in his hand. Once George’s vision cleared, he narrowed his eyes at him, taking in his appearance - blonde, rather tall, built quite nicely if he was being honest. He was dressed in a simple white shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. His eyes flitted to the mark of a Leo on his wrist and his heart rate increased.

“Who are you?” he demanded, throwing the covers off of him and moving to get to his feet. He was quickly reminded of his head wound as he tried to get to his feet and promptly collapsed on the floor.

“Whoa!” the man called, setting the water down and crossing the room to help George back into the bed. George batted at his hands angrily, pushing him away. “Those guys roughed you up pretty badly. You should rest.”

“Who are you?” George repeated. The man smiled brightly and held his hand out for George to shake.

“I’m Dream!” he said politely. George ignored the hand and chewed on his lip nervously.

“Where am I?” he asked next. Dream dropped the hand extended and clasped them together in front of himself. 

“You’re in the Leo District right now,” Dream said carefully, eyeing him warily like George might spontaneously combust at any moment. “I wasn’t sure where you lived, and you know that hospitals are pretty discriminatory against other Signs, so I brought you to my home. You have a pretty nasty cut on your head - you should get that checked out soon.”

George sighed loudly and dropped his head into his hands, fingers catching on the bandage that had been wrapped carefully around his wound.

He was in the Leo District? Leo’s and Scorpio’s were known for their high animosity between each other - nobody hated anyone the way that they hated each other. This wasn’t a good situation for him to be stuck in, especially when at the mercy of another Leo.

This was complicated. There wasn’t an explicit law that stated that Signs couldn’t mingle with other Signs, but it was certainly frowned upon. Everyone was meant to stay in their district, and interact only with people of the same Zodiac. Those were the rules.

And yet, here he was, laying in a Leo’s bed, being cared for by the enemy. George cringed at the mere thought.

“I should get going,” he said tersely. Dream frowned at him and shook his head. 

“You couldn’t get out of bed less than a minute ago,” he pointed out. “I doubt you’d be able to get back to the Scorpio District. It’s nearly an hour away.”

George huffed. Why were Leo’s such know-it-alls? It was rather infuriating. “Why are you even doing this?” George snapped. He was getting irritated. “We’re not supposed to be near each other. It goes against the rules.”

Dream tilted his head to the side in confusion. “What rules?”

Great. Not only was he stuck with a Leo, but an idiotic Leo. “Lord have mercy,” George muttered, sinking back into the pillows. Dream shuffled awkwardly. 

“You should rest for a bit longer,” he mused, walking over to the other side of the bed and flicking the lamp on the nightstand off. “You should be well enough to leave when you wake.”

George rolled his eyes and watched as Dream left, refusing to let his eyes trace the defining muscles of his arms.

Just because he was a Leo doesn’t mean George couldn’t appreciate the fact he was good-looking, right?

Right.


	2. Chapter Two

It went like this.

One day, governments worldwide decided to separate the entire population by their stars signs, with hopes that conflicts would be kept to each District - if a problem arose within the Virgo District, then it would be their problem, their job to fix it. Each city was separated into 12 Districts, and people were meant to stick to their places.

Obviously, George rarely followed those rules.

He never really understood the point of sticking to a certain space simply because he was told to do so. So he didn’t, instead venturing out into the other Districts whenever he could, for the mere purpose of being able to see something other than the Scorpio District.

Everyone in his District was rude, crass, and bold. George didn’t like them at all, preferring to keep to himself. He enjoyed spending his time in the Aquarius District - they were all quite kind and hated conflict, so they never really had an issue with a Scorpio being there, as long as he didn’t cause problems. And he never did.

He met his friend Niki there, her sweet accent and soft voice always making him feel more comfortable and at home in her District. It was Niki he called when he woke up for the second time at Dream’s house. She picked up almost immediately.

“George!” she said happily. “What’s up? I haven’t heard from you in a while!”

George smiled, pressing the phone closer to his ear so he could hear her better. She was almost too soft-spoken to speak to over the phone. “Hey Niki,” he said. “Could you do me a favor?”

“Of course!”

George’s smile widened at her eagerness to help him. She was really too sweet. “I’m over in the Leo District,” he said. “I got into a spot of trouble. Do you think you could come pick me up? I took the train here, but I don’t want to walk back to the station.”

He could practically hear the frown that was undoubtedly on his friends face as she spoke. “You know it’ll probably be quicker for you to take the train? My District is about 30 minutes away from the Leo’s.”

George cleared his throat, eyes wandering over the sparsely furnished room he was in. “I hit my head,” he admitted, opting to keep out the fact that he had practically been beat to the ground. “I’m afraid I might faint on the way there. You know how Leo’s are with my Sign - we hate each other.”

Niki hummed, and George grinned as he heard the tell-tale jingle of her picking up her keys. “I’ll be there soon,” she said sweetly. “Don’t get into any more trouble, alright?” 

George agreed easily, sending Niki his location, and then hung up, flopping back into the pillows and pulling the sheets up to his chin. 

He loved Niki. He was lucky to have her as a friend.

Dream showed up a few minutes later, greeting him with a warm smile and some Ibuprofen.

“To help with the headache,” he informed, passing over a fresh glass of water. George nodded and tossed the pills in his mouth, swallowing them down with a mouthful of the cool liquid. Dream took the cup from him and set it on the nightstand, sitting cautiously on the edge of the bed. George studied him for a moment before speaking.

“Why are you helping me?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Dream picked at his cuticles, keeping his eyes on his hands.

“I’ve never really understood the point of separating everyone,” he admitted, glancing up at George who seemed surprised. “I think it’s pretty stupid. People shouldn’t do stuff like that just because you’re a different Sign. It doesn’t make much sense to me.”

George nodded his agreement and sat up, bunching his hands in the blankets. “I agree,” he said quietly. “It’s kind of pointless, isn’t it?”

Dream nodded and silence fell between them for a moment.

“Are you feeling any better?” Dream said finally. George reached up to touch the bandage wrapped around his head. It was still a bit tender, but felt significantly better than it had earlier. 

“A bit,” he said. “I’ll go to my doctor when I get back home. Someone is on their way to get me now.”

Dream blinked. “I could’ve taken you,” he said, his brow creasing. “It would’ve saved your friend a bit of time. It’s not a short drive.” 

George shrugged. “I’d rather limit our interactions as much as possible,” he said shortly. Dream winced. “It’s for our own benefit. People would not take kindly to see us together.”

“Together?” Dream teased. “Ask me out first, sheesh.”

George’s ears turned red at the tips and he looked away, blushing furiously. “You’re a menace,” he declared. Dream laughed and stood up from the bed, stretching his arms out a bit before reaching out to George. 

“Come on,” he said, his smile wide and contagious. “I’ll help you downstairs.”

George turned back to him and accepted his hand, trying his best to ignore the butterflies in his stomach at the small contact. The feeling only intensified when Dream placed his hand on the small of his back and slowly helped him out of the bedroom.

His hands were warm.

They made their way carefully down a set of stairs, George making a point not to stare at the photos on the wall. He was certain that if he saw any photos of a younger Dream, he would only want to get to know the story behind it and he would end up staying much longer than he should.

They reached the living room and Dream gestured for George to sit on the sofa, bringing him his shoes a moment later. George slipped them on.

“You know,” Dream said slowly, sitting across from him in a comfy looking armchair. “You never told me your name.”

George glanced up at him. “George,” he said, going back to tying his laces. Dream nodded, tapping his chin as he watched.

The doorbell rang after a few minutes of quiet conversation, and George practically leapt to his feet, swaying slightly as his head spun. Dream went to open the door and George beamed at Niki as she poked her head through the doorway. 

“George!” she cried upon seeing the bandage around his head. “What in the world did you do?” George rolled his eyes lightheartedly as she fussed over him, running her slim fingers over the bandage and brushing the dirt off of his shirt. Dream looked amused by their interaction.

“We should get going,” Niki said after a few minutes, glancing worriedly at George’s injury. “I’ll take you back to your district so you can get that checked out.”

George nodded and allowed Niki to grab his hand and pull him out to the front porch. It was late - about 6:00. George turned back to thank Dream, stopping once the other man started to speak.

“George,” he said carefully, seeming hesitant. “Could I get your number?”

George blinked. “Why?”

Dream laughed, mussing up his hair a little bit with his hand before dropping it back down to his side. “I enjoyed our conversation,” he said, sounding painfully formal. “I’d love to talk to you again sometime.”

George shrugged and held his hand out for Dreams’ phone, typing in his number and quickly handing it back. “I’ve got to go,” he said, glancing back at Niki, who was standing patiently and watching their interaction with interest. “Thank you for your help, Dream. I appreciate it.” 

Dream smiled and said, “It was no problem. I hope to see you again soon.”

As his luck would have it, George was given a bottle of painkillers and ordered two weeks of bed rest by his doctor. The gash on his head had been much deeper than he had anticipated and required nearly 20 stitches to fix. He left the hospital, catching a ride home in a cab, balancing his new prescription and his keys as he unlocked the door to his home. It was rather quaint, a small place that was cozy and warm on the inside. George slid his shoes off at the door and walked down the hall to his bedroom, pulling his phone from his jacket pocket when it began to ring. 

“Hello?” he said, holding the device to his ear with a shrugging shoulder as he opened his bedroom door. He dropped his keys and medicine down on his desk.

“Hey George! It’s Dream!”

George frowned and put the man on speaker so he could move about the room as he spoke. “Dream? I wasn’t expecting to hear from you.”

Dream laughed brightly, the sound contagious and making a small smile spread across George’s face before he realized what he was doing and wiped the grin from his features. 

“I just wanted to make sure you got home alright. Have you seen the doctor?”

George slid his jacket off, letting it fall to the floor. “Yeah, he gave me some medicine and wants me to stay in bed for a week,” George rolled his eyes. “As if.”

“You should listen to him,” Dream said wisely. “He’s a professional.”

George scoffed. “I’m too antsy to stay in bed for a week,” he countered, grabbing his phone from off his dresser and crawling into his bed, sighing at the comfort the familiar pillows and blankets brought him. “I’ll probably head over to see Niki in her district tomorrow.”

George could practically hear the frown in Dream’s voice, which was curious - he shouldn’t know him well enough to hear his emotions. 

“Niki would want you to stay in bed,” Dream reasoned. George could hear a bit of shuffling, the sound of doors opening and closing, locks clicking. 

“What are you even doing?” he asked, curiosity finally getting the best of him. 

“Well,” Dream said, sounding a bit cocky. “If you’re this determined to not put your health first, I guess I’ll just have to come make sure you do.”


	3. Chapter Three

Of course he thought he was lying. They had only met less than 24 hours ago, and under odd circumstances. Why would someone who was practically a stranger come to George’s house just to make sure he was taking care of himself? It didn’t make any sense.

Plus, Dream was a Leo. George hated Leo’s.

So of course he was surprised when he opened his front door nearly two hours later, gaping at the man standing on his doorstep.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” George hissed, grabbing Dream by forearm and dragging him inside. “This isn’t your district!”

Dream laughed a little as George slammed the door shut, locking it behind him. “I told you I was coming,” he pointed out, shrugging his coat off of his shoulders and glancing around the cozy home. “Nice place!”

George scowled and walked into the living room, Dream trailing behind him. 

“You shouldn’t be here,” George said, shoving away the papers and books that were piled up on the coffee table. “You saw what happened to me when I went to your District. What makes you think the same won’t happen to you here?”

Dream smiled and sat on the couch, balancing his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. “I can handle myself pretty well,” he said easily. “Besides, it was more or less just an excuse to see you again.” 

George frowned at him. “Why would you want to do that?” he questioned suspiciously. “You’re a Leo - you’re supposed to hate me, and I’m supposed to hate you. That’s how this works.”

Dream cocked his head to the side. “You don’t really think that, do you?”

They talked for hours, George slowly growing more comfortable with Dream and sitting beside him on the couch, their knees angled towards each other. It was quite late before Dream stood up from the sofa and announced that he needed to return to his District.

“People will be wondering where I am,” he joked, pulling his jacket on at the door. George smiled at him and leaned against the door frame. 

“It was great talking with you,” he admitted, though he hated to hear the words coming from his mouth. “You’re welcome to come over whenever you like.”

Dream grinned at him, his blonde hair tousled from pulling his jacket on. “I’ll take you up on that. Are you free to get lunch sometime this week?”

George blinked. “Um, sure. I suppose I don’t have anything better to do.”

Dream looked positively overjoyed at this. “Perfect! I’ll come pick you up tomorrow, say, around 1?”

George nodded. “Sounds great. I’ll see you then, Dream.”

They shook hands awkwardly at the door and George watched as Dream got in his car before shutting the door, locking it before heading up to his bedroom. Perfect timing - his head was beginning to pound. He rubbed his jaw, walking over to his nightstand to pour out two of the pills his doctor had given him. He swallowed them dry, crawling into his bed fully clothed in his jeans, laying down against his pillows to think. 

Dream was a peculiar person. But George liked him, liked his thoughts on the Districts, the way he had a dimple on his left cheek when he smiled but not on his right. The way his eyes glittered with passion when he spoke about something he cared deeply about. George sighed, brushing his thumb over his lips.

Distantly, he wondered what it would be like to kiss the other man. Are his lips as soft as they appear? George nodded to himself. 

And then his eyes widened as he realized what he was thinking about. Heat pooled below his abdomen and he grimaced, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. This wasn’t good. Everything he was feeling right now went against his very morals.

Dream was a Leo. Being with a Sign that wasn’t your own was bad enough, but being with a Sign that was so possibly harmful to your own wellbeing? That was the worst case scenario. George could lose everything he had for these feelings he felt rising in his chest - he could lose his friends, his family, his job.

It would be best to push them away. He couldn’t risk his life for a man he had met two days ago. It was unthinkable.

Of course, all of those thoughts went out the window as soon as Dream showed up to pick him up for their lunch.

It’s not a date, it’s not a date, it’s not a date, George chanted to himself, even as Dream held the car door open for him, even as he complimented the clothes George was wearing.  
He could do this. Just grabbing a meal with a friend. A friend, nothing more.

Lunch was an easy affair.

George directed Dream to a small restaurant, owned locally by Scorpio’s, and made sure that the blonde man’s Sign on his wrist was hidden before they entered the quaint building. They sat in the corner, smiling shyly at each other as they were brought glasses of water and left to order. 

“Is your head feeling any better?” Dream asked after they had placed their orders, along with some alcoholic drink that Dream recommended. George’s cheeks were pink.

“A bit,” he admitted, rubbing the bandage gently. “Still aches quite a bit, but it’s to be expected.”

Dream nodded, frowning slightly. “I find it embarrassing that Leo’s would actually do something like that,” he said seriously. “I’ve never heard of people being so against other Signs that they would do actual harm to them.”

George shrugged, sipping at the cocktail drink. It tasted like strawberries and vodka. “I’m used to it,” he said calmly. “It happens all the time when I visit other Districts. Just something you have to get used to.”

Dream gaped at him, looking stunned. “You’re used to it?” he said disbelievingly. “That’s not normal, Georgie!”

George’s eyes widened and he choked on his drink at the nickname, not expecting it. “It’s nothing to be upset over,” he managed, rubbing his throat tenderly once he had caught his breath. Dream still looked appalled.

“You’re telling me people regularly beat you up,” he deadpanned. George shrugged with one shoulder. 

“You get used to it, after a while. Though,” he said, looking away in embarrassment, “I hadn’t been caught in a bind like with the Leo’s in a long time. So...thank you for your help that day. I probably would’ve been hurt a lot worse if you hadn’t helped.”

Dream’s smile was blinding. “It wasn’t a big deal,” he claimed. “I’m just glad I got to meet you. You’re pretty cool, for a Scorpio.”

They laughed together for a moment before moving on to the next topic.

And then, on their way home, George’s entire mood soured with the arrival of a single person.

“Dream!”

They had paused on the sidewalk, having been on their way to the park so they could continue talking with each other. Turning around, George frowned at the woman that approached. The Sign of a Cancer was dark on her pale skin, her auburn hair the color of a fire that George, in all his colorblinded glory, could not see. It wasn’t odd to see Cancer’s in the Scorpio District - after all, the two Signs were quite compatible with the other, and often mingled their two Districts together.

“Ava,” Dream greeted the woman, giving her the smile that George had so selfishly believed was reserved for him. The woman wrapped her arms around Dream’s middle in an intimate embrace. 

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” the woman, Ava, said, sounding out of breath as they pulled apart. Dream looked very pleased with her arrival. Jealousy churned in George’s stomach.

“This is my friend, George,” Dream said, gently pulling George forward by his wrist. “George, this is Ava.”

George smiled tightly at the woman, shaking her hand after only a moment of hesitation. “It’s good to meet you,” he said politely. Ava shook his hand, her eyes shining brightly with good humor. 

“So you’re George!” she exclaimed, sounding like she had solved a great mystery. “Dream talks about you quite a bit. He seems to enjoy your company!”

George turned to look at Dream, who was hiding his face in his hands. “Ava,” the Leo complained. He gave George an apologetic look. “I was excited to become friends with you,” he admitted. George nodded, like that sentence explained everything.

“How do you two know each other?” George inquired, glancing between the two of them. At this, Dream’s smile appeared a bit more forced and his jaw clenched almost unnoticeably. Ava giggled, a high pitched sound that grated on George’s ears, and looped her arm around Dream’s elbow.

“Ava is…” Dream hesitated, refusing to meet George’s gaze. 

“She’s my fiancée.”

George’s face fell, though it went unnoticed by the apparent couple. “Engaged,” he echoed, plastering a smile on his face. “My congratulations to you both.”

Ava thanked him profusely, her cheeks a lovely rosy color as she blabbed on about the wedding preparations she had already done. George listened for as long as he could stand before interrupting.

“I’d really love to finish this conversation,” he broke in. Ava quieted, raising a brow at him. “But I really do need to get going. Bed rest and all.” 

“Oh!” the woman said, her eyes widening almost comically. “I’m so sorry for keeping you, I totally forgot!”

George shook his head, shoving his hands deep into his jacket pockets. “It’s alright,” he claimed, eyes flickering over to Dream, who still wouldn’t look at him. “I’ll be going then. Have a good night, both of you.”

Ava said goodbye, while Dream simply waved, smiling in a manner that could have been interpreted as sad, before George turned and walked in the opposite direction, heading towards his home.

Dream was engaged.

Why did this fact make him so...angry?


	4. Chapter Four

George’s new knowledge of Dream’s relationship status kept him away from the man for nearly a week. It progressed to a point where he began ignoring Dream’s persistent calls and texts, instead choosing to hide away in the Aquarius District with Niki. 

For some reason, the knowledge that Dream was taken hurt him, physically and emotionally. Niki had sensed something was wrong when he showed up at her house the night of his and Dream’s ‘date’, shivering from the cold and his lips blue. She quickly ushered him inside and readily agreed when George asked if he could stay with her for a while.

He really was grateful for his gentle friend. He made sure to show it by being as productive as he could during the day - cleaning up a bit around the apartment while Niki worked her easy-going job as kindergarten teacher. A wonderful job, one that suited her perfectly. 

After a week of cooping himself up, George decided to leave the cozy home, leaving a note for Niki on the kitchen counter saying that he would be back in time for dinner that night. He wrapped himself up warmly in a hat and a scarf, draping his coat over his shoulders as he stepped outside into the crisp winter air.

The Pisces District called to him, and he paid no mind to the weird look the taxi driver gave him when he told him where he wanted to go. There was a small library in the Pisces District, owned by a frail old woman that seemed to enjoy George’s presence, though he couldn’t go very often. Scorpios and Pisces' tended to get along fairly well, the two Signs often complimenting each others traits, whether it be in a friendship or relationship. George enjoyed his time in this District, loving the loud, sociable personalities of the Fish Sign.

The drive there took almost an hour, and George thanked his driver graciously, tipping him well before stepping out of the vehicle. The library he frequented stood before him, it’s snug exterior appearing welcoming to anyone who passed by. George smiled at the elderly woman that sat behind the counter as he walked in, pulling the scarf from his neck.

“Miss Sarah,” he greeted quietly, walking over to grasp her wrinkled hands. Sarah squinted at him, recognition finally showing in her pale blue eyes.

“George!” she exclaimed, gripping his hands tightly. “I haven’t seen you in so long - how have you been?”

George bent over the counter to accept the hug the woman offered to him, smiling as her homely scent of cinnamon and baked bread reached his nose. “I’ve been visiting the other Districts,” he said, pulling away and leaning against the counter. “You know how my travels are - long, with not very many breaks in between.” 

Sarah nodded and scuttled out from behind the register, pulling her old knit shawl closer around her shoulders. “Well come on,” she urged, pushing George down the aisles of bookshelves towards the back of the small building. “Come sit for some tea, will you? Indulge this old woman for a moment.”

George laughed. “I always will, Miss,” he said, heart warming. 

They sat for tea and Sarah listened intently as George described his recent travels, including the one to the Leo District. Her eyes grew a lot more interested than they already had been at the brief mention of Dream, and she held up her palm, making George stop in the middle of his sentence. 

“Tell me about this Dream character,” she said. George looked at her and took a small sip of his tea, enjoying the warmness of its flavor. 

“He’s...interesting to say the least,” George said, his brow creasing. “I enjoy his company a lot. He’s a good friend.”

Sarah seemed to recognize the dilemma that George had immediately and she sighed, reaching across the small table to touch his hand.

“Just how much do you enjoy his presence?” she asked curiously, eyes glinting mischievously. George frowned at her.

“Now, don’t get the wrong idea, Miss,” he said sternly. “He’s engaged. Nothing will ever happen between me and that man.”

Sarah appeared a bit troubled at this. “You’re hesitant to talk about him,” she pointed out. “You obviously like him, my dear. It’s only a matter of finding out whether or not he returns your affections.”

George huffed. “Miss, as I said, he’s engaged. I’d be mortified at even the idea of trying to break the two of them up. He’s clearly enamored with her.”

Sarah shook her head, her soft grey curls falling in waves across her face and shoulders. “I didn’t say anything about breaking them up,” she said. “I only mentioned finding out whether he returns your feelings. What comes after that will come on its own, with time.”

George considered her words carefully. “You’re saying there’s still a chance,” he said slowly, questioningly. Sarah nodded.

“It’s never too late to figure out matters of the heart, George. I have a feeling that you and Dream could be quite the pair.”

With this thought in mind, George left the library with a small novel tucked under his arm, slipping into another cab that would take him back to the Aquarius District, back to Niki. on the way there, he slid his phone out of his pocket, pulling up his messages with Dream and wincing at the sheer number of texts and missed calls he had received from the man. Sighing, George pressed the button to call him and held the phone to his hear, chewing on his fingernail nervously as the line rang.

“George!”

George smiled slightly at the excitement in Dream’s tone. Maybe avoiding him had been the wrong idea, after all.

“Hey, Dream,” he said slowly. “Why don’t you come over for dinner tomorrow?” A moment's hesitation passed, and then he added, “Bring Ava too, I’d love to get to know her a bit better.”

Dream wasn’t really sure what it was about George that pulled him in so intensely.

They were back in George’s kitchen, some animated movie that George had thrown on playing in the background while he made them both dinner. Technically speaking, the smaller man wasn’t supposed to be out of bed, but Dream had quickly discovered just how stubborn the man could be and had reluctantly given in, allowing him to make them an easy dinner of pasta. He still hovered cautiously in the kitchen, making sure George didn’t burn himself or that he wasn’t over-exerting the stress on his body. 

“Dream,” George snapped at one point, shooting the blonde man a glare over his shoulder. "Get out of here before I dump this water on you.”

Dream glanced at the boiling water nervously. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, his eyes flitting over George’s face with heavy concern laden in his eyes. “If you need me to finish-”

George sighed loudly, throwing his head back in exasperation. “I am literally boiling water,” he said loudly, sounding annoyed, but by the rosy tint spreading across his high cheekbones, Dream could tell that George secretly enjoyed the attention. “I’m fine. Go watch the movie while I finish.”

Dream huffed and, after making sure one more time that George could be trusted on his own, retreated back to the living room. 

Ava waited for him on the sofa, a glass of wine held daintily between her delicate fingers. Dream exhaled loudly as he sat beside her, throwing his arm around the back of the couch.  
“Is he alright?” Ava inquired quietly, her eyes staying glued to the TV screen. “You were in there for a while.”

Dream smiled at her, kissing her cheek gently and making the corners of her lips rise. “He’s fine,” Dream assured. “He’s very determined to do it on his own.” 

Ava chuckled. “I was a bit surprised when he invited both of us over, and not just you,” she admitted. Her voice dropped a few levels, to the point where Dream had to bend closer to hear her whispered words. 

“He seems quite taken with you. I’ve never seen a Leo and a Scorpio be so friendly towards each other.”

Dream pursed his lips, ignoring the way his stomach twisted in excitement at his fiancée’s words. 

He seems quite taken with you.

Taken? The thought brought a smile to Dream’s face. George was taken with him. 

Frowning suddenly, he shook the thoughts from his head and focused determinedly on the movie playing, wrapping his arm closer around his soon-to-be wife.

He shouldn’t be thinking of George in such a way. His father would have a cow if he were to know of the thoughts that constantly swam through his brain whenever George was around. Dream wasn’t even sure how to address such thoughts, so completely focused on his upcoming wedding. 

But still, his dedication to keeping his thoughts about George to strictly platonic went out the window as soon as George appeared in the doorway, a proud smile on his face as he set two plates of steaming noodles in front of the couple.

“It’s done,” he said excitedly. “I really hope you like it - my mother used to make it for me all the time.”

Ava was the first to praise him on his talents, covering her mouth politely as she chewed. “This is incredible, George!” she said, sounding happily surprised. “Thank you!” 

George looked pleased at the praise and turned to Dream expectantly. Dream swallowed the small bite he had taken and echoed Ava’s words. George’s face brightened considerably as he took his own seat across from them in his own chair.

George wasn’t sure what had possessed him to insist that Ava come along with Dream for dinner. Was he some sort of masochist?

His heart ached at the sight of the couple sitting together on his couch, obviously happy with the other’s presence. He kept shooting them inconspicuous glances throughout the night, watching the way they interacted with each other closely. Ava seemed to be very soft-spoken, much like Niki, who had always been rather quiet and sweet. Distantly, he wondered if the two of them would ever get along.  
George hoped not. Despite the fact that Ava appeared to be a lovely woman, it did not change the fact that she was the only thing standing between him and Dream.

George berated himself for the thought, disappointed with the way he continuously wished for the woman to vanish. He wanted to be alone with Dream, to keep his attention on him, steal the warm affection that Ava was currently soaking up. 

He knew he was being greedy, to want the eyes of an engaged, straight, man to be solely focused on him. It wasn’t fair to any of them. And so George kept his thoughts to himself, choosing to ignore the pair, even as they curled against each other and spoke in soft tones in their partners' ears. George felt goosebumps rise on his arms at the thought - Dream leaning down, his breath ghosting over George’s skin as he whispered in his ear, words so sweet that George nearly crooned at the mere idea but quickly passed the sound off as a yawn, cheeks burning in embarrassment. 

Dream caught the sound and glanced over at him, leaning towards Ava to whisper something in her ear. 

“George,” the girl said sweetly, standing from her spot and bending to pick up her purse and jacket from the floor. “It’s getting a little late, so I think we’re going to go.”

George blinked at the suddenness and stood up quickly, reaching out to shake Ava’s hand in an awkward display of politeness. “It was great to spend some time with you, Ava,” he said considerately.  
As much as he wished the woman didn’t exist, she really was kind. Ava smiled back at him.

“Thank you so much for having us, and for dinner,” she remarked. “It was amazing.” Letting go of George’s hand, she turned to Dream. “I’ll wait for you in the car, then?”

Dream nodded, and George’s expression turned a bit pointed as he leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips. Was that really necessary? 

“I’ll be out in a minute or two,” he said to his girlfriend, walking her over to the front door. George waved one last time at Ava before she left, quickly getting in the car that waited for her in the driveway. Dream shut the door quietly and slowly turned to face George, who stood with his arms held stiffly at his sides.

Suddenly, he felt awkward to be alone with Dream. Ever aware of his growing feelings for the man, George was nervous to be with him.

“Are you feeling okay?” Dream asked, sounding concerned. “You’ve been pretty quiet all night.” George flinched as Dream reached out to press a hand to George’s forehead, which was still mostly covered by the large band aid covering his stitches. He pushed Dream away, frowning.

“I’m fine,” he forced out, smiling in a tense manner. “I just have a small headache.”

This only seemed to heighten Dream’s concern, as he hurriedly grabbed George’s forearm and began dragging him upstairs towards the bedroom. George yelped and protested loudly as Dream carefully shoved him into his bedroom, wandering around the room to throw a pair of clean sweats at George.

“Change,” he ordered. “I’ll go clean up in the kitchen for you. I told you you should’ve rested instead!”

George rolled his eyes. “A bit of cooking isn’t what caused my headache,” he said, eyes widening as he realized what he had said. Dream paused in his tracks, halfway out of the room as he turned around.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”


	5. Chapter Five

George and Dream stared at each other, the air tense between them.

“What’s that’s supposed to mean?” Dream said, confusion and a bit of irritation apparent on his face. George looked away, uncomfortable.

“Nothing, Dream,” he muttered. “Forget about it.”

Dream crossed his arms. “No. What’s that supposed to mean, George?”

George scowled at him. “Forget about it. Your fiancée is waiting for you. Shouldn’t you go to her?”

Dream scoffed in disbelief. “Is that what this is about?” he demanded. “You don’t like Ava? You’re the one who invited her here, George.”

“That doesn’t mean I wanted the two of you all over each other the whole time,” George shot back, anger rising in his throat. Dream looked appalled.

“We were sitting on the same couch,” Dream said pointedly. “It’s not like I was railing her on your sofa-”

“Quit saying shit like that!” George shouted, resisting the urge to cover his ears childishly. “Does it look like I want to hear about that stuff?”

Dream rolled his eyes. “You can’t act like this,” He said irritably. “You’re the one who invited both of us, George. What’s your problem with her?”

“I don’t have a problem with her,” George insisted, glaring at the man. Crossing his arms across his chest, he added, “Why would I have a problem with her? She’s great, I mean just absolutely astounding-”

Dream groaned loudly, throwing his hands up in the air. “You’re so confusing!” he yelled. “I don’t understand you! What is your problem?”

George had to bite his tongue to fight off the onslaught of cruel words that he wanted to shout, words that would most definitely damage whatever semblance of friendship the two of them even had anymore.

He had been right all along - Leo’s and Scorpio’s don’t mix well.

“You should go,” George said quietly, turning away. “I can clean up myself.” 

Dream looked at him in disbelief before shaking his head and leaving the room. George flinched as the door slammed shut behind him, splintering on the hinges. He swallowed the sob that threatened to escape his throat and sat gingerly on the bed. His head was pounding more than ever now, and he rubbed the tender spot with his fingers, ignoring the way they shook. Distantly, he could hear Dream’s car start up and shoot down the street at a speed that was definitely illegal.

He had no clue what had come over him. He should have known better than to invite both of them, especially so soon after realizing that he had some small amount of feelings for Dream. It had been a bad idea, even from the start. He never should have indulged the Leo, should have left him alone after leaving his house that day.

George sighed heavily and leaned back on the bad, throwing his arm over his eyes. Small tears leaked out from the corner of his eyes, but he paid no attention to them.

At least it was over now. He could move on.

There would be no Dream and George.

And move on is exactly what George did.

During his travels to other Districts, he met many new people, people that he was glad to be able to call his friends. He met a man named Sapnap in the Pisces District, after a visit to Sarah’s library. The two of them had quickly hit it off, becoming a pair of tight knit friends. George never laughed quite as hard with anyone else as he did with Sapnap. 

It was from Sapnap that George was able to meet his other new friends - a Virgo called Wilbur, a Capricorn who went by Quackity for some reason, and a Cancer named Karl. The group of them were pretty close, and George found himself spending more and more time with them. He was content with his little group, and tried to see them as often as he could between his trips to other Districts.  
He hadn’t spoken to Dream since the last time he had been over. There was a constant ache in his chest as a reminder of how close they used to be, but he had slowly gotten used to paying no mind to the feeling. Nearly a month had passed by now - George sincerely doubted that he would ever come into contact with the Leo again.

It was on a trip to the Libra District that George met Calix.

Calix was a quiet man, and George had met him at a small coffee shop that he frequented when he was in the vicinity. The two of them had struck up a conversation and George, never one for learning from his mistakes, grew attached quickly. 

A month passed without Dream. George accepted Calix’s proposal and they began dating. 

The aching feeling in his chest remained.

Calix was a simple man, with simple needs - coffee in the morning, a shower at night, and someone to come home to.

With George, he had every one of those things. 

It was the beginning of January when the two of them moved into George’s small home in the Scorpio District. Calix was content with this - he was not a problematic person, and preferred to avoid conflict when possible, so he agreed easily when George suggested they live together in his District. 

He woke up late Sunday morning to knocking on the front door. His hair was tousled from sleep and the activities he had gotten up to with George the night before. Sitting up, he knew instinctively that George would be gone already - his job took him all around the Districts, and he had been informed the day before that his lover would be going to the Gemini District, which was a few hours drive away. He wouldn’t see him until tonight.

The knocking at the door grew more insistent. Calix groaned and slid out of the bed, the sheets gliding over his bare chest as he made his way downstairs. 

A blonde man stood on the doorstep, looking an odd mix of apprehensive and nervous. Calix opened the door and hid behind it a bit, his brows drawing closer together.

“Can I do something for you?” he asked carefully. He cleared his throat, which was still a bit sore from the night before. The man looked confused at his presence.

“I’m sorry, I thought I had the right place,” he admitted, glancing out at the street before turning back and smiling awkwardly. “I’m looking for someone. His name is George? Do you know which house he stays in?”

Calix frowned. “George still lives here,” he said slowly. “He’s not here right now though.”

The man looked even more confused. “He still lives here? Who are you, then?”

Calix opened the door a bit wider, tucking his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. The man’s eyes darted to the dark marks that bruised the side of his throat and down his chest.   
“George is my boyfriend,” he said authoritatively. “Who are you?”

Dream had no idea what possessed him to turn up on George’s doorstep that morning. But he sure was regretting it now. 

“Boyfriend,” he echoed, feeling dazed. He grimaced and rubbed his cheek. “My apologies. My name is Dream. Could you please just pass a message on to George for me?”

George’s boyfriend looked suspicious, but nodded anyways. Dream tried his hardest not to pay attention to the dark red hickies that mottled the man’s skin. “What would you like me to tell him?” the man said, drawing Dream’s attention back up to his eyes, which were a stormy grey color. 

“Ask him to call me,” he said, biting his lip. “Tell him that I want to apologize for what I did.”

The man nodded and stepped back into the house, slowly starting to shut the door. “I’ll pass along the message,” he said. “Have a nice day, Dream.”

The door shut in Dream’s face and he blinked at the suddenness, turning to walk down the pathway to his car. He slid behind the steering wheel and started the vehicle, sighing as he leaned his forehead on the steering wheel. 

Out of habit, he went to twist the ring on his left finger, blanching at the feeling of skin instead of metal.

Right. He had nearly forgotten. 

Calix was no fool. He recognized the look in Dream’s eyes easily.

Those were the eyes of a jealous man.

When George came home that night, exhausted and sporting a brand new bruise beneath his left eye, Calix had pulled his jacket off of his shoulders and led George over to the couch, pushing him down onto the cushions. 

“You should be more careful,” Calix called as he went to the kitchen to retrieve the bags of ice that were frequently used. George shrugged when Calix returned and winced as the cold ice was pressed against the bruise.

“It’s not a big deal,” he said, smiling and leaning forward to press his lips to Calix’s cheek. “How was your day? Anything interesting happen?”

Calix hesitated, biting his lip gently between his teeth.

“Nope. Nothing happened.”


	6. Chapter Six

The night that Dream had argued with George was one of the worst nights of his life. 

He had stormed from the house, seething as he slammed George’s doors shut and flung himself into his car, barely paying any mind to Ava, who appeared shocked at his behavior. 

“Dream?” she said quietly, reaching out to touch his arm gently. “Is everything alright? What happened?”

“Nothing happened,” Dream snapped, stomping his foot down on the gas pedal and shooting down the street. Ava yelped.

“Slow down!” she said loudly, her hands reaching out towards the steering wheel but not grabbing it. “You’re going way too fast, Dream!”

Dream huffed and slowed the car down begrudgingly, wincing as the seatbelt cut into his skin at the sudden stop. Ava exhaled shakily and leaned back in her seat. 

“Jesus,” she muttered, rubbing her forehead. “What happened, Dream? What did George do?”

Dream frowned deeply at her. “What makes you think George did anything?” he asked. Ava looked away, glancing down at the purse she clutched in her lap.

“I just assumed. He likes you, doesn’t he?”

Dream blinked. “What?”

Ava laughed lightly, though the airy sound was humorless. “He obviously likes you, Dream,” she said harshly. “I just assumed he had admitted it and that’s why you were upset. Was I wrong to think so?”

Dream shook his head and gently tapped the gas pedal, driving down the road at a legal speed limit now. “George doesn’t like me like that,” he insisted, though he felt a bit unsure. “We’re just friends. We just had an argument over something stupid. I’m sure he’ll call me tomorrow so we can talk about it.”

But George hadn’t called him the next day, or the day after that. An entire month passed without a word from George, and it left Dream feeling anxious.

Had their fight really been that significant? He hadn’t thought it was a big deal. 

His concern for George left Ava hanging with no attention from her supposed fiance. She tried to wait patiently, figuring that Dream would let it go at some point, but as the days passed and nothing changed about his behavior, she had had enough. 

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” she had whispered to him that night, taking her engagement ring off her finger and placing it carefully in Dream’s palm. “You obviously have something going on with George, and it seems like I’m just getting in your way. I really hope you figure this out, Dream.”

In the end, Dream hadn’t been able to say anything to change Ava’s mind, and he watched numbly as she packed her few things and left Dream’s house. 

In the days following his breakup with Ava, Dream did nothing besides wallow in misery around his house, watching the cars outside his window drive by aimlessly. 

It took a visit from his old friend Sapnap to get him out of his mood.

Dream had been in the midst of laying in his bed, watching the grey clouds outside his window meander by when his bedroom door burst open and Sapnap marched in, an umbrella in his hand. Dream yelped as his friend swung the umbrella down, wacking his leg. 

“Sapnap, what the hell!” Dream shouted, sitting up in a hurry and squeezing his leg as pain bloomed around the area. Sapnap glared at him and hit him again, a bit more gentle this time, on the arm.

“Get your ass out of this bed, for Christ’s sake,” he said, sounding annoyed that he even had to be there. “We’re going out to lunch. Good God, you stink!”

Dream sulked at this fact. “Why are you even here?” he mumbled, swinging his legs out from beneath the covers and getting to his feet. 

“Ava called and asked if I could come check on you,” Sapnap explained, dropping the umbrella on Dream’s bed and flopping down beside it. “Said you’d been acting weird before your breakup.”

Dream didn’t acknowledge this, instead choosing to stagger into the bathroom and turn his shower on. 

“Are you okay, Dream?”

Dream glanced back into the bedroom, where Sapnap was now sitting up on his bed, looking uncharacteristically concerned. 

“I’m fine,” he said automatically, the response practically programmed into his head at this point. Sapnap shook his head. 

“You’ve always been really bad at lying, man. Hurry and shower so we can go get some lunch. I’m starving.”

It took Dream only thirty minutes to shower and dress himself in something that could be deemed appropriate enough for Sapnap’s standard. His friend gave him a once over when he finally left his room and nodded.

“Great. Let’s go.”

Sapnap drove, taking them to the closest burger joint he could find. Hiding the Sign of the Fish that was on his forearm, he held the door open for Dream and led them over to a booth far in the corner.

“So what’s up with you?” Sapnap said after they placed their orders and received their drinks. Dream held his chin in his hand, gazing blankly out the window. Sapnap snapped his fingers in front of the Leo’s face, gaining his attention, and repeated the question. Dream’s eyes were downcast, a bit dimmer than they usually were. 

“I think I messed up, Sap,” he admitted. “I met this really cool guy a few weeks ago, and we were just starting to become friends, but I think I might’ve fucked it up for good.”

Sapnap took a sip of his Coke, raising a brow at him. “What did you do, exactly?”

Dream shrugged. “I don’t actually even know,” he said. “I just know that he wants nothing to do with me now. He won’t answer any of my calls or texts - it’s been a month, Sapnap.”

Sapnap pondered this information for a moment. “Tell me about him,” he said a minute later, playing with the wrapper from his straw. “Where did you guys meet? What’s his Sign?”

“He’s a Scorpio,” Dream said, and Sapnap barked out a quick laugh.

“No wonder it didn’t work out,” he said. “Your Signs are practically the most incompatible Signs there is!”

Dream scowled at him. “That’s not true,” he argued. Sapnap waved his claims away, gesturing for him to continue with what he had been saying before. 

Dream spent a long time telling Sapnap about George - how they met, how Dream had tended to him while George was injured, their lunch ‘date’, how Ava had shown up out of nowhere. 

“He ignored me for days after that,” Dream’s brows knit together. “And then invited both of us to dinner out of nowhere. Said he wanted to get to know Ava more.”

Sapnap’s eyes widened in realization as Dream continued.

“He was irritated most of the night, and then when I said we had to go, we got into this huge blowout over how he didn’t want to see Ava and I all over each other - which we weren’t,” Dream said defensively, “We were just sitting on the couch together! But George got all pissy about it for some reason, and we both just yelled at each other and then he told me to leave and he hasn’t said anything to me since.”

Dream looked up once he had finished, having ripped his straw wrapped to shreds by now. Sapnap breathed a laugh.

“You have got to be the most clueless guy I have ever met,” He declared. “You’re talking about George Davidson, right?”

Dream nodded. “I think so.” Sapnap laughed again, rubbed his jaw with a hand.

“I’m friends with him,” he said, thanking the waitress as she came by to place their food on the table. “I know how much that guy works - apparently he works for some business that takes him through all the Districts to gather research on them. He gets beat up a lot. Stupid fellow, really, but a great man. He’s fun to hang out with. Can’t hold his alcohol for shit though.”

Dream listened to this eagerly, desperate for any news on George. “He’s alright then?” he asked hopefully. Sapnap swallowed his food.

“Yeah, he’s fine,” he said. “He never mentioned you, though.”

These words stung. “I tried going over to his house the other day,” Dream said quietly. “Did you know he’s got a boyfriend?”

Sapnap nodded. “Yeah, they’re quite the pair. Never seen two people be that happy with each other, not even you and Ava.”

Dream felt his stomach twist harshly at these words, his chest aching. Sapnap watched him curiously, trying to gauge his reaction to what he had said.

“What’s his name?” Dream asked after a few minutes of silent eating. 

“Calix. He’s a Libra, I think.”

Dream rolled his eyes.

“I hate Libra’s.”

Sapnap scoffed. “You hate everyone who isn’t George.”

Dream choked on his food and Sapnap laughed loudly, reaching over to smack his palm against Dream’s back to dislodge the food in his throat. “Alright man?” he asked, still giggling to himself. Dream glared heatedly at him. 

“Don’t say shit like that,” he insisted. “It’s weird. George and I were only friends.” Dream swallowed past the lump in his throat, but passed it off as food. “Nothing else.”

Sapnap didn’t look like he believed him. “Then why haven’t you gone back to see him?”

Dream pursed his lips, biting the inside of his cheek. “I did a few days ago,” he said. “His boyfriend - Calix? - was there. Said George wasn’t around, but that he would tell him that I stopped by.”

Sapnap snorted. “Calix definitely wouldn’t tell him you were there,” he said easily. “He’s too jealous for his own good sometimes. You’re a threat to his relationship with George.”

Dream shook his head. “I told you, George and I were just friends.”

“I don’t think that’s how George saw you as.”

George enjoyed his time with Calix, but there was always something missing that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

They lay together on the sofa, George curled up under Calix’s arm beneath a cozy blanket, watching a movie that played on the television. He tried not to pay any mind to how Calix had been rather clingy since he came back from the Gemini District - it probably wasn’t something to be concerned over. 

George yawned and shuffled closer to his lover. It was only about six o’clock, but he was already tired. 

The doorbell rang. Calix jumped up from his spot on the couch, smiling at George as he stood. 

“I’ll get it,” he murmured, bending down to kiss the British man. “I’ll be back in a second.”

George smiled sleepily at him, his eyes drooping a bit as he watched the other leave the room. Voices drifted towards him from the hallway, sounding vaguely familiar. George furrowed his brows.  
“Sapnap?” he muttered, getting to his feet and hauling his blanket around his shoulders. He walked out of the living room and down the hall, pleasantly surprised at the sight of Sapnap at his door.

“Sap!” he said, smiling brightly at his friend. “What are you doing here?” 

Sapnap shot him an exasperated look. “Would you tell your boyfriend here,” he shot Calix a dirty look, “to get out of the way?”

George glanced at Calix, who refused to meet his eyes. “What’s going on?” he said slowly, suddenly suspicious. 

Calix huffed and stepped aside, and George felt his heart stutter in his chest as he saw who Calix had been hiding from his view.

“George!”

Dream grinned at him, obviously elated to see him. George stared blankly at him - 

And then promptly shut the door in his face. Calix looked bewildered at his actions, but chose not to say anything as George locked the front door, ignoring both Sapnap and Dream’s called for him to open up.

“I’m going to bed,” he said distantly. Calix watched his lover drag his blanket down the hall and up the stairs, listening to the bedroom door click shut. He groaned quietly and pressed his face into his hands.

This wouldn’t be good for any of them.


	7. Chapter Seven

Dream felt his heart drop as George’s front door slammed in his face, taking a startled step back and nearly tumbling off the front porch. Sapnap shot his hand out to grab Dream’s arm, helping him steady himself before he banged on the door with his fist.

“Calix!” he shouted. “Open this door!”

The door opened and Calix hid behind it, looking sheepish. “He said he’s going to bed,” he said quietly. “Can’t you just leave?”

Sapnap rolled his eyes and shoved the door open, brushing past George’s boyfriend and stomping down the hall. “Like hell I’m going to leave,” he snapped. He pointed at Dream. “You. Come with me. Calix, you stay down here.”

Dream avoided Calix’s eyes as he followed Sapnap up the stairs to where he was twisting the doorknob to George’s room aggressively, pounding on the wood with his other hand. 

“George!” he called. “Come on man, open the door!”

“Go away Sapnap!” came the muffled response. Dream shuffled awkwardly before hesitantly opening his mouth.

“George,” he called pleadingly. “Can we just talk? Please?”

“Does it look like I want to talk, Dream?” George said sarcastically, throwing the door open and jamming his finger in Dream’s chest. “The last thing I want is to talk with you. Both of you need to get out of my house now.”

Dream swallowed, recognizing the look of fury in George’s eyes. He had looked exactly the same the last time he had seen him, over a month ago. “George,” he said, trying again. “Really, I just want to talk! I want to apologize-”

“Oh, he wants to apologize,” George said snarkily, throwing his hands up in annoyance. “You should’ve done that weeks ago, you dick!”

Sapnap seemed to sense that his presence was no longer needed, so while George shouted at Dream for his incompetence, he took his leave and snuck back down the stairs. Calix was sniffling on the couch, his head held in his hands. Sapnap felt a twinge of pity for the Libra.

“Hey,” he said slowly, walking over to sit next to him. “Are you alright?”

“Does it look like I’m alright, Sapnap?” Calix brushed the tears off of his cheeks, only for new ones to fall. “My boyfriend is currently upstairs with another man, who is so painfully in love with him that it makes me sick to look at him. How do you really think I’m feeling right now?”

Sapnap twiddled his thumbs. “Yeah,” he said nervously. “That would be my fault, wouldn’t it?”

Calix shot him a watery glare, rubbing his hand through his hair. “You know about them, don’t you?” he accused. “You know about how close they were. Do you understand why I feel so threatened right now?”

Sapnap nodded, having the decency to look ashamed. “I’m sorry, Calix. It’s just…” He paused, wondering whether or not he should continue. Calix finished for him.

“You don’t think I’m right for George, do you?”

Sapnap chose not to say anything, but that proved to be enough of an answer for the other man. Calix sniffled again.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said determinedly. “I love George. I’m not going to let go off him very easily.”

Sapnap nodded. “I wouldn’t expect any less from you, Calix.”

Upstairs, George was really going off. He had pulled Dream into his bedroom and was currently pacing up and down the room, yelling things at the blonde man angrily.

“You’ve got some nerve showing up here!” he shouted. “Did you even stop to think that there was a reason I stopped contacting you? Are you really that dense, Dream?”

Dream winced at the harsh words. “That’s not fair,” he said softly. “You never even told me what I did wrong that night.”

“Then what are you here to apologize for? That doesn’t make any sense!”

Dream stood up and crossed the room to grab George’s arms, making him stop his pacing. “Listen, George,” he said earnestly. “I know I said some things that night - we both did. I just wanted to apologize, but you’ve been shutting me out! And then I come over here to say sorry in person and your boyfriend, of all things, answers the door-”

“Oh, so now you have a problem with Calix? Is that it?” George shot at him, yanking his arms away from Dream’s hold. Dream rolled his eyes.

“You’re allowed to have a problem with Ava, but I can’t have an issue with Calix? How is that even remotely fair, George?” Dream said angrily. George’s eyes narrowed. Dream continued.

“Besides, Calix shut the door in my face once I even mentioned speaking to you. Doesn’t seem like a very good boyfriend, does he?”

George’s eyes blazed with anger and Dream grunted as the smaller man pressed his hands to his chest and pushed him back a few steps. Dream staggered, but quickly regained his balance, shooting George a dirty look. 

“You leave Calix out of this,” he hissed. “He did nothing to you. What do you have against him? He forgot to tell me you stopped by? God, Dream!”

Dream found himself at a loss for words. He had come here to apologize, only to find himself arguing with George again. Maybe Sapnap was right.

They were just...incompatible.

“Listen, George,” Dream said after a moment, feeling slightly more calm. Anger still boiled beneath his skin, but he wasn’t sure if it was more directed at himself, George, or Calix.

“I wanted to apologize, so that’s what I’m going to do.” Dream spread his arms out, then let them fall back down to his sides. “I’m sorry, alright? I’m sorry for yelling at you last time, sorry for bringing Ava with me… I don’t know why, but I should’ve realized you didn’t like her. I shouldn’t have brought her with me that day. I’m sorry.”

George crossed his arms over his chest, still looking a bit pissed off. “Does she even know you’re here now?” he asked, sounding a bit peeved that he even had to wonder. Dream shook his head.

“Actually,” he laughed humorlessly. “She broke up with me a few weeks ago. Wedding’s off and everything.” 

George bit his lip. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

They both knew he was lying.

“Look, can we just…” Dream exhaled loudly. “Can we start over? It’s been hell, not being able to talk to you. I know we didn’t know each other for very long, but I really enjoyed the time we spent together. Can we just be friends again?”

George thought about this for a minute, raising his shoulders up in indifference. “I guess so,” he said, sounding unsure. Then he frowned. “You can’t be rude to Calix,” he pointed out. Dream groaned.

“I hate Libra’s though,” he whined. George breathed a small laugh, the last of his anger fading at the familiarity of the other man. 

“You hate everyone,” he teased, stepping forward to give Dream a hesitant hug. Dream wrapped him up in his arms, and George felt his heart twinge at Dream’s next words.

“I don’t hate you, though.”

This probably wasn’t a good idea, he thought to himself as he sank into the embrace. 

Oh well. 

“What the fuck is going on here?”

George’s eyes widened as he and Dream sprang apart, even though they hadn’t been doing anything wrong. Calix was standing in the doorway, his face red and his eyes puffy from crying. 

“Calix,” George said, his heart pounding. Why was he so nervous? “It’s not what you think. Dream and I were just...Apologizing to each other.”

Calix looked at Dream warily as he walked into the room, pulling himself up to his full height as he stood next to his boyfriend. George was nearly four inches shorter than him, making Calix and Dream around the same height. They glared at each other for a moment.

“I think you should leave,” Calix said quietly. “It’s late. You should get back to your District, Leo.”

George frowned, but said nothing, even as Dream glanced over at him. 

“Alright,” Dream said finally, returning his gaze to Calix. “I’ll call you, Georgie.”

Calix glowered at him, seemingly upset by the use of the nickname, and Dream smirked, feeling a lot better about himself for making the other irritated. George sighed.

Now that Dream was back, only more trouble could be caused. George wasn’t sure if he was ready or not.


	8. Chapter Eight

There was no other way to put it - Calix hated Dream.

Ever since the Leo had made up with George, there wasn’t a single moment of silence in his life. It seemed like Dream was always taking George from him, insisting that they had to hang out as often as they could to ‘make up for lost time.’

Calix called bullshit on this. 

And after the third time this happened, he decided to do something about it.

He had been sitting in the living room on the couch, reading some novel that George had bought a while ago when his lover burst through the front door, his eyes wide and cheeks flushed red from the cold. He had a bright grin on his face, and Calix would have thought this cute -

If it weren’t for Dream following behind him, the same smile on his face. Calix scowled and stood up.

“Where were you?” he asked, walking out of the living room and over to George, helping him out of his coat. 

“We went ice skating over in the Sagittarius District,” George said, sounding breathless. “Oh, Calix, it was loads of fun, you should’ve been there too-”

Calix frowned and hung the coat up. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on you,” he snipped. “Seems you had plenty of fun on your own.”

George blinked. “Did I do something wrong?” he asked quietly, lowering his voice as he glanced at Dream. “What’s wrong?”

Calix sighed loudly, throwing his head back dramatically. “You didn’t do anything, George,” he said sourly. “That’s part of the problem.”

“Hey man,” Dream broke in, taking a step forward to move in between George and Calix. Calix glowered at him. “We just went skating, it’s not a big deal.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Dream,” Calix snapped. “But you’re not the one dating George, therefore, this is none of your business. It might be in your best interests if you leave now.”

“Calix!” George argued, looking appalled. “You can’t just kick him out, that’s rude!”

“What’s rude is that I haven’t seen my boyfriend all week because he’s out and about with another man,” Calix hissed, jealousy dripping from his words. “So excuse me if I’m not very tolerable of his presence, George.”

“We’re friends Calix,” George insisted, crossing his arms and stepping out from behind Dream. “Am I not allowed to have friends anymore?”

“That’s not what I said,” Calix shot back, looking equally frustrated.

“Then what are you saying? I’m not following.”

Dream cleared his throat and raised his hands in defeat when both men glared at him. “Calix, George and I are really just friends,” he said. 

“We will never be more than friends.”

George’s heart dropped.

We will never be more than friends.

But why should he care? George was supposed to be happy with Calix, sound in the foundation of their relationship. He loved him, and Calix loved him back. It was that simple.

Was it that simple though? 

George watched blankly as Dream left the house, offering a small smile before he slipped through the door, and Calix stormed off upstairs. He jumped as the bedroom door slammed shut, leaving George to his thoughts, which was always a dangerous thing. Distantly, George recognized the fact that he had walked into the living room, but he didn’t remember it happening.

Dream was...different, compared to Calix. Whereas Calix was all sharp corners and bitterness, Dream was soft edges and warmth. The difference between the two of them was huge. 

Heat rushed to his cheeks at the thought of Dream holding him around the waist as they slipped and slid across the ice earlier that day. The other’s arms had been so comfortable, making George never want to leave them.

Was it possible to be in love with two people at once? Because if it was, George definitely suffered from such a situation.

Dream wasn’t sure what he was doing with George, but he knew that he enjoyed the negative impact it seemed to have on Calix. He liked making him angry. 

He also loved spending time with George.

Dream drove back to his District in a haze, a grin on his handsome face as he recalled the events of the day. George’s laugh, his smile, the color of his cheeks…

Dream cut himself off there before his thoughts could escalate. It wouldn’t do to think about George that way, not when he had spent so long just trying to be his friend again. Besides, the man already had a boyfriend - Dream could never sink so low as to try to break them up, or get in between their relationship. 

Still, he laughed to himself as he entertained the idea. That would definitely be amusing, and a win-win for him. Calix would be pissed off, and he could have George to himself.

Dream nearly slammed on the brakes at this thought. 

Have George to himself?

Of course, Dream could appreciate the attractiveness of his friend, and the way his personality could be so similar to Dream’s and yet still be so different so that they never clashed. But there was a difference between wanting George all to himself, with Calix out of the picture, and being able to simply appreciate certain facets of what made George, George.

Right?

Dream drove for another hour, deep in thought even as he pulled into his driveway back at the Leo District. He turned the engine off, grabbed his keys and locked his car doors before making his way up the pathway.

He almost didn’t see the figure waiting for him on the front step.

“Dream?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: really short chapter so I can set the scene for what’s supposed to happen in the next one <3


	9. Chapter Nine

“Dream?”

Dream hadn’t been expecting to see anyone, banging his knee into the door in surprise. He swore under his breath and pushed the door open before looking back at the person on his doorstep. 

“Ava,” he said, sounding relieved. “Hi, sorry I wasn’t expecting you.”

Ava shrugged, fiddling with the strap of her purse. “I wasn’t expecting to come,” she admitted. “I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing.”

Dream smiled at her, stepping inside his home. “Do you want to come in?” he offered, but Ava shook her head. 

“I have something to do, so I can’t stay,” she said. “But...you’re doing alright? Better?”

He nodded. “A lot better. I went and made up with George a while ago.”

Ava seemed pleased with this knowledge. “I’m glad, Dream,” she winked. 

“Maybe next time you can make up and make out?”

In the Scorpio District, George was packing his bags.

Or, trying to. 

“One little argument and you’re leaving?” Calix said, looking upset. George couldn’t really blame him - he was known to be dramatic sometimes. His fight with Dream last week only proved this fact. 

“I’m just going to stay with Niki for a day or too,” he said quietly, throwing a couple shirts into the suitcase he had spread out on the bed. “You were really rude earlier, Calix.”

“Can you blame me, George?” his boyfriend pleaded. “Some guy shows up out of nowhere and suddenly my boyfriend is too busy hanging out with him to come home at night. Why can’t you understand why I would be suspicious of that?”

George’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I told you Dream was just a friend,” he said. “Why can’t you understand that?”

“I do understand that,” Calix said, leaning against the doorframe and watching as George tried to stuff a pair of shoes into the suitcase. “But you don’t see the way he looks at you George. Like he wants to be...more than friends.”

George shook his head, exhaling through his nose in a quiet laugh. “Please,” he said teasingly. “Dream was engaged a little over a month ago. To a woman, no less. The chances that he’s interested in me are exceptionally low. Besides,” George hesitated here, biting his lip as he folded a pair of jeans. “I don’t like him like that. Anything between Dream and I is purely platonic.”

The words tasted sour on his tongue, and he almost wanted to gag from how false they were. But he couldn’t say that out loud - it would certainly set Calix off, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with an angry Libra. Calix tended to get angry rather quickly, and it took forever to calm him down.

That didn’t change the fact that George was still in love with both Calix and Dream at the same time. The two of them were such complete opposites, both with traits that George found attractive. It was hard for him to decide who he would want to be with. For now, staying with Calix was the better choice.

Even though there was the potential that George was only leading the Libra on. George heaved a sigh, already sick of this train of thought. He shook his head and continued packing, focusing on the words Calix was saying from the doorway.

“Are you sure about that?” Calix walked into the room, and George tensed his shoulders up a bit as he wrapped his arms around his waist, pressing his chest against George’s back. Huffing, George relaxed into the hug, picking up another shirt and inspecting it before tossing it onto the floor. Niki would burn that shirt if she saw it in her house.

“Of course I’m sure,” George swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. “I love you, not Dream.”

Jesus. If he kept up with all this lying, George wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep track of them all. 

Calix kissed his cheek, tightening his arms minutely and pulling back a bit to whisper in his ear. 

“I think you might be lying.” 

George stiffened, pausing in the folding of his clothes. “What?”

Ava sat in the living room, glancing around at the walls like she hadn’t been living with him not too long ago. Dream sat anxiously across from her in the armchair, tapping his foot on the carpet. 

“You changed up the pictures on the walls,” she mused thoughtfully, tapping her bottom lip as she gazed at the new photos - photos of his family and, of course, of him and George that they had taken in the past week since they had made up. 

“Yeah, I thought it was appropriate, considering,” Dream said, wordlessly mentioning their breakup. His walls used to be covered with pictures of him and Ava from when they first started dating, over two years ago, up to the point of their engagement.

Which had been broken off. Dream wanted to kick himself at the reminder. All because he had had an argument with his friend and had overreacted instead of solving the problem.

“Probably a good idea,” she agreed. Ava finally looked at him and smirked. “You can calm down, Dream. I’m not here to get back together with you- I think that’s a ship that sank a while ago.”

Dream frowned. “A while ago?” he repeated. “It’s only been a month since we broke up. That’s not very long.” 

Ava wheezed out a laugh. “Please. Our relationship was over the day you met George.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dream asked. Ava rolled her eyes good-naturedly, a smile still on her pretty face. 

“Do you know how you acted when you came home from his house, even if you only saw him for an hour?” she inquired, raising a brow. Dream shook his head. “I’ve never seen you that happy, even on the day we got engaged.” She shrugged. “It was kind of game over for us after that. It was just a matter of you figuring it out, but obviously you’re too dense, so I had to do it myself.”

“I don’t understand,” Dream said, rubbing his forehead. “What does breaking up with me have anything to do with my friendship with George?”

“You’re pretty stupid, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean?” George asked hesitantly, tilting his head to look up at Calix, who was still holding him tight against his chest. Calix glanced down, looking amused.

“Why do you look so nervous?” he said, squeezing him once and kissing his head before letting him go. “I was just joking. Are you still going to go to Niki’s?”

George exhaled a breath that he forgot he was holding and nodded shakily. “Yeah,” he huffed, going back to his packing. “I just think it’s better if I get some space right now. I don’t want to fight with you, over Dream of all things.” 

Calix didn’t look too happy with this, sitting on the bed with a pout. “Can’t you stay?” he whined. “I get so lonely without you.”

George groaned and threw his head back in exasperation. "Calix,” he said sternly, turning to shoot a stubborn glare at his lover. “I told you - it’s better if I do.”

Calix heaved a sigh, reaching out to grab George’s arm and gently pulling him to stand between his legs. George shivered at the gentle kiss pressed against the pulse on his wrist.

“Can’t you stay a little longer?” he whispered suggestively. George sighed, tugging his arm away in annoyance. Calix’s hopeful expression fell instantly.

“I told Niki I would be over by 4,” he said, stepping away and moving back to his suitcase. “I have to leave in a few minutes.”

“God,” Calix said loudly, flopping back on the bed. “Everyone comes before Calix these days.”

George looked at him in shock. “Seriously?” he said, dumbfounded. “You realize I’m leaving because of you, right? How many times do I have to say this?”

“Ohhh, it’s always my fault,” Calix spat sarcastically, covering his face with a hand. “I’m always in the wrong, George is always right, I forgot-”

“Would you shut up?” George snapped, throwing the shirt he held onto the bed. “I’m really sick of you acting like this, Calix. I did nothing except be reasonable with you, and you’re treating me like shit!”

Calix appeared appalled at this information for a singular moment before his eyes darkened with anger. 

“Don’t,” he said, his words quiet and cold. “Raise your voice at me.”

“I’m not stupid,” Dream said, rolling his eyes. Ava snickered at him, brushing her hair out of her eyes. 

“Tell me about George,” she said, leaning back into the couch cushions. It was a good thing she had cancelled her plans - this was about to get fun.

Dream narrowed his eyes, but instantly started spewing about the last time he had seen him, when they had gone ice skating a mere few hours ago.

“He’s really good at it,” he said eagerly, really getting into it now. Ava listened in amusement. “Apparently he took lessons when he was younger, and he was just naturally good at it.”

“Right,” Ava cut in, waving her hand to quiet Dream’s words. He looked a little put off, but it subsided. “Now, tell me - how do you feel right now, after talking about George?”

Dream shrugged. “I don’t know, happy? Excited?”

“You’re blushing,” she pointed out, glancing at the rosy hue on Dream’s cheeks. The color instantly deepened and Dream sputtered, turning away to hide his face. Ava burst out laughing. 

“Do you seriously not see it?” She asked once the last of her giggles had faded away. Dream looked at her once more, the blush having faded by now.

“See what?” he asked cautiously. Ava groaned. 

“You idiot,” she said in mock annoyance. 

“You’re in love with him. Everyone but you two can see it. It’s so obvious that it actually hurts to watch you two interact.”

“What do you mean?” Dream inquired, intrigued. “You’ve never been with us when we’ve hung out.”

“I was there the night you guys had your argument,” she pointed out. “Which, by the way, was the stupidest thing to get into a fight over, seriously. But the entire night, you two could not keep your eyes off each other.” She bit her lip. “It really hurt my feelings, honestly. The guy you’re supposed to marry, looking at someone else the way he used to look at you? That stung a little bit.” 

Dream opened his mouth to start apologizing, but Ava cut him off, anticipating the response.

“Anyways, I don’t think you guys really realized you were into each other, that early on. But it’s obvious now, so I think you should do something about it.”

Dream bit the inside of his cheek while he thought.

Did he like George? 

“He’s dating someone,” he said carefully. “I can’t get in the middle of his relationship.”

Ava chuckled. “I think you already have.”

George backed up a step at the anger in Calix’s eyes, anxiety spiking. “I’m sorry,” he stammered. Calix crossed his arms, taking an intimidating step closer to the smaller Scorpio.

“You need to learn to watch what you say, Georgie. You never know what could happen when you don’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmk what you guys think!   
> small reminder that if you follow me on twitter, you gain access to my discord (we're kinda cool) and the chance to participate in polls that could determine the outcome of future chapters!!   
> @/sin_city007 (twitter)


	10. Chapter Ten

Niki was never one to give good advice, but when George showed up at her apartment, his face red and tear-stained, the words practically fell out of her mouth before she could even stop to think about it.

“What did he do?” she had asked as soon as she saw the crying Scorpio, her heart panging with pity as she helped him inside. George sniffled and sat on the sofa while Niki poured him a cup of tea, which he accepted gratefully. 

“He just wouldn’t stop yelling,” he whimpered, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. Niki sat beside him and wrapped him up in a comforting side-hug while he spoke. “I’ve never seen him that angry before, Niki. It was terrifying.”

“What made him so mad?” she asked gently, rubbing her hand up and down George’s back. Inside, she was seething with fury.

Calix had some kind of nerve to treat George like this. 

“It was over Dream,” George muttered, sipping at his tea and setting it down on the coffee table. “He thinks that he’s in love with me. It’s ridiculous.”

Niki breathed a laugh. “You don’t believe him?”

George spared her a glance, looking quite miserable. “I wish he was, believe me.”

Niki really wanted to go more in depth with this statement, but the look in George’s eyes made her rethink. He didn’t seem in the mood for anything other than a good cry, a warm shower, and a nap.  
“Did you bring your things?” Niki said quietly. George shook his head and brushed the tears from his cheeks. 

“I just wanted to get out of there, so I left my stuff on the bed.” he admitted. Niki nodded and helped George up off the couch, leading him by his hand up the stairs to the guest bedroom. 

“I’ll go over there and grab your stuff,” she said, pushing George into the bathroom. “Why don’t you take a shower, relax, and I’ll be home soon, okay?”

George looked at her gratefully. “Thanks, Niki.”

Niki smiled brightly at him, but as soon as the bathroom door was shut, it slid off her face, a glare replacing it.

She was pissed.

Calix was not afraid of many things, but an angry Aquarius made the list of things he was absolutely terrified of. 

Niki didn’t even let him open the door before she burst in, jabbing a manicured nail into his chest. He winced at the pressure. 

“You have got some nerve,” she hissed, her eyes dark with fury. “He showed up crying at my house. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Calix laughed nervously, looking around at anything besides the short woman. “It wasn’t a big deal,” he said defensively. “Sure, I said some things I shouldn’t have, but he-”

“Don’t you try to pin this on him!” Niki shouted, standing up on her toes to get in Calix’s face. “Your stupid insecurities doesn’t give you the right to make him want to leave you!”

Calix had the good grace to look slightly guilty, but Niki didn’t seem to care, pushing past him to stomp up the stairs. 

“What are you doing?” he called, trailing after the angry blonde. He found her in the bedroom, shoving clothes into the suitcase that George had been packing earlier. 

“He’s staying with me until you figure out your shit, Calix,” Niki said, walking over to the closet and shoving clothes aside until she found some random hoodie that Calix had never seen before, tossing it on the bed.

“It’s not really your place to intervene, Niki,” Calix said, crossing his arms. “I’ll be over to pick him up tonight. He’s just acting childish.”

“If you show up at my apartment,” Niki said, zipping the suitcase shut and turning to face him. “You won’t like what happens. You are not welcome there, ever.”

Calix shrugged. “I guess I’ll be seeing you tonight.”

Niki didn’t reply to this, shoving him out of the way with her shoulder as she dragged the suitcase out of the bedroom and down the stairs. In a last show of anger, she slammed the front door shut so hard that the walls rattled. Calix sighed, dragging a hand down his face. 

Niki was more trouble than she was worth.

He did not like her.

George was sitting on the floor of the shower, the water long having gone cold. He heard Niki come home, so he had to have been there for at least an hour.

“George?” Niki knocked on the bathroom door before pushing it open a crack. “I got your clothes. Do you want me to set some out for you when you get out?”

“Sure,” George called, standing up in the shower and turning the water off. He shivered - he hadn’t realized how cold he was. Niki moved around for a second before shutting the bathroom door and retreating into the guest bedroom. George peeked around the shower curtain to make sure she was gone before stepping out of the tub and toweling himself dry. He paused, cheeks turning red when he realized what clothes Niki had brought him, a small laugh escaping his throat. 

Dream’s sweatshirt. He picked the object up, slipping it over his head. 

It still smelled like him. George pressed his face into the soft black fabric, reminiscing on the night it had been given to him.

It had been just a few days ago, actually. They had gone out for dinner, walking around the Leo District after so George could sightsee more than he had been able to the last time he had been there. George, the idiot he was, had forgotten his jacket in the car, so Dream had given him his sweatshirt to wear. 

George had prayed that Dream would forget to ask for it back. Thankfully, he did, and he had kept it hidden in the back of his closet since, hoping Calix wouldn’t find it.

Now that he thought about it, maybe Calix’s worries were valid. George frowned, then shrugged. He couldn’t say the things he did without some repercussions. 

He could hear the front door opening downstairs, and George hurried to get dressed when he heard Niki welcoming someone new in. His heart rate increased, thinking it was Calix, as he opened the bathroom door and snuck down the stairs. His eyes darted about nervously.

“Dream!” he exclaimed a moment later, grinning at the sight of the blonde man. Dream turned to smile at him, holding his arms out for a hug that George couldn’t leap into fast enough.

“Is that my sweatshirt?” he murmured, bending down to George’s level to whisper in his ear. George choked and the tips of his ears burned with embarrassment. Dream breathed a laugh, hugging him tighter. 

“It looks cute on you.”

Niki cleared her throat, and George reluctantly pulled away, rubbing his head. His hair was still dripping wet, as he hadn’t dried it in his excitement to come downstairs. Water fell into his eyes from the wet strands. Dream brushed the droplets away, giving him another smile. 

“George,” Niki said, grabbing his attention. “Calix said he’s coming to get you tonight. Are you planning on staying here?”

George wrapped his arms around himself. “I don’t want to go home,” he said quietly, biting his lip. “He’s just going to yell at me again.”

Dream’s head whipped around to stare at him. “What?” 

Niki waved him off, pulling George into the living room to sit down. “You can stay here as long as you need to,” she said reassuringly. George smiled at her. “But you need to do something about Calix.”

George looked at Dream as he sat next to him, a lot closer than was really necessary. “What do you mean?” he asked. Niki sighed.

“He’s...different, than he used to be,” she said carefully. She didn’t want to say something that could upset the Scorpio. She smiled to herself as Dream pulled the blanket from off the back of the couch and wrapped it around George’s shoulders. George looked down at his hands.

“You think I should leave him,” he said, saying it as a statement rather than a question. Niki hesitated before she nodded. 

“I think there’s other people that could treat you a lot better.” She glanced over at Dream, who was watching George with a tender look on his face.

“Who knows? He might be a lot closer than you think.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only a couple more chapters left :)


	11. Chapter Eleven

George sat tense on the couch for hours, anticipating the moment when Calix would come. He was dreading it - he didn’t want to go home, and he was worried that the Libra would make him.  
At this point he knew that he should break up with Calix - whatever they had in the beginning of their relationship was gone now, and with all the angry words that Calix had said earlier that day, George didn’t think there was any possibility of fixing things.

Dream stayed with him and Niki, keeping George company on the couch while Niki made dinner. It reminded George painfully of the last time he had seen Ava, the night he and Dream had had their fight.  
A movie played on the TV, but George was too anxious to pay attention to it. Dream sat close to him, both of them beneath a soft blanket that Dream had dragged over at some point. But George was too tense to be comfortable. 

The dreaded knock came at a quarter to nine. Niki was the one to answer it, and George wanted to curl up into a ball and die at the sound of Calix’s voice. Dream stood up, George following after a moment's hesitation, and watched as Calix entered the living room, looking irritated. Niki followed, a peeved look on her pretty face.

“You can’t just walk in here,” she said angrily. “I told you not to come!” 

Calix ignored her and looked around, his gaze settling on George. His eyes narrowed at Dream, who stood beside George, a hand pressed against the small of his back comfortingly. 

“Come on, George,” the Libra said, reaching out to grab George by the arm. George yelped as he was pulled forward. “You’re being ridiculous. Let’s go.”

Dream took George’s other hand, pulling him back gently. “Let go of him,” he snapped, glaring heatedly at Calix, who gave him a bored look. 

“This is getting really old, Dream,” he said, rolling his eyes. “In the end, George is mine and not yours. This game of yours is tiring, and I’m done playing it.”

George’s eyes darted between the two men before landing helplessly at Niki, who looked torn over what she should do. His shoulders were starting to ache from his arms being held by both men.

“I’m done with the way you treat George,” Dream shot back, tightening his grip on George’s wrist and yanking him closer to him. “He’s not something to claim, he’s a human being!”

Calix’s eyes darkened and George bit his lip in pain as he was pulled towards him, feeling a bit like a volleyball now. 

“The way I treat him is none of your business, Leo,” Calix snapped. “It’s not your relationship!”

Dream and Calix glared at each other before George spoke up from between them, his voice quiet. 

“Could you both let go? Please?”

Dream immediately noticed that his hold was too tight and dropped the Scorpio’s arm. Calix, on the other hand, tightened his grip, and as soon as Dream had let go, dragged George towards him. 

“I’m sick of this,” he said loudly, glaring at Dream, then Niki, before finally letting his eyes fall on George. “Sick of your shit-” George flinched “-and sick of having to fight for even the tiniest bit of your attention. So we’re going to go home, now, and we’ll continue this later.”

George wanted to argue, he really did, but with the Libra towering over him, his presence overpowering, he found himself nodding in resignation. His heart felt heavy as Dream and Niki both protested loudly behind him. 

“George!” Dream said, sounding personally offended. “Come on! You can’t go back with him!”

George wanted nothing more than to stay with Dream, to let the man wrap him up in his arms and never let him go. Calix must have been able to see this on his face because he suddenly became a lot more urgent, practically shoving George towards the front door.

Niki stood in front of it, arms crossed stubbornly.

“He’s not leaving,” she said resolutely. “You need to leave, Calix. None of us want you here.”

Calix scoffed, moving his grip from George’s forearm to his shoulder, squeezing it to the point of pain. “He’s the one who said he wanted to go,” he pointed out, glancing down at George. “Right George?”

George glanced back at Dream longingly, the blonde looking desperately back at him. 

“George?”

He looked back up at Calix, who was still hanging on to his shoulder. “Can you let go?” he whispered. “You’re hurting me.”

As soon as Calix let go, George rubbed his shoulder and stepped away from him, retreating backwards until he fell into Dream’s chest. 

“I don’t want to go,” he said quietly, staring at the floor awkwardly. His cheeks burned as Dream boldly wrapped an arm around George’s waist, placing his free hand on the Scorpio’s hip. 

Calix gaped at the two of them, looking from George’s blushing face to Dream’s hands, to Dream’s smug look. “What the fuck is this?” he demanded, starting to move towards them. Niki pulled him back, shoving him towards the front door. 

“Get out of here,” she said firmly. “Before I call the cops.”

“George!” Calix shouted as Niki nudged him out the door and onto the porch. 

“It’s over! I’m done!”

George covered his mouth to try to smother the sob that escaped it, but his shaking shoulders proved to be enough for Dream, who noticed and turned him around gently to hug him.  
He never thought it would end like this. But he wasn’t crying because he was sad that it was over.

He was crying out of relief. 

He settled into Dream’s embrace, tears of joy falling from his eyes, clutching the front of the Leo’s shirt. Dream hushed him, practically carrying him over to the couch so they could sit there, rubbing George’s back to comfort him. George’s heart warmed.

Being in love with Dream really was the better option. He was glad that Calix was gone, but now he had a new problem.

How was he supposed to get together with Dream? He had no clue what the other man’s preferences were, let alone how he felt about George. 

He might have his work cut out for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> special Valentine's Day chapter <3

AN: special valentine’s chapter!! <3

Dream didn’t know how to feel when Calix left that night.

On one hand, he was glad that George was finally away from Calix and no longer had to put up with the Libra’s toxicity. He was glad to finally have a chance at winning the Scorpio’s heart.  
But on the other hand, he was worried that George wasn’t as okay as he said he was. 

The days that followed George and Calix’s breakup were busy. With Sapnap’s help, Dream and George were able to pack up all of Calix’s things and leave them out on the sidewalk. He didn’t deserve having them dropped off. 

Weeks passed by in a blur, blending together routinely as Dream went through the motions. Wake up, eat, shower, drive to George’s. He’d spend the day with George, then drive home as late as possible, aiming to spend as much time with him as he could. 

He didn’t know what to do now, but making moves seemed like the reasonable option. 

He started off simple - compliments.

Based on the way George reacted when he first started this stage of his plan, he wasn’t used to receiving compliments all too often, which just gave Dream yet another reason to hate Calix, but he decided to push that aside for the time being. 

They were lazing about on George’s couch again, their calves pressing together, just scrolling through their phones when Dream looked up.

“That sweater looks good on you,” he said simply, watching in amusement as George sputtered and dropped his phone on his face. A blush spread across his cheekbones all the way down his throat. 

“Where did that come from?” George managed after a full minute of blushing furiously and coughing for no reason. Dream shrugged, feigning disinterest as he turned back to his phone. 

“It’s just a fact,” he said. “It makes your eyes look pretty.”

This second statement sent George into another round of choked wheezes, turning away in embarrassment.

Dream laughed quietly, watching him out of the corner of his eye. This was going to be a lot of fun.

The next time it happened, they were in the Taurus District, walking around on a trip that was technically supposed to be for George’s job. But ever since Calix had left the picture, Dream had taken to accompanying George on his travels, loving the extra time he got to spend with the Scorpio because of it. 

They stood in some random gift shop, laughing quietly with their heads bent towards each other over the silly gag items they found. Dream grinned as he tugged a beanie with the symbol of the Bull emblazoned across the front over George’s wild hair, nearly covering the shorter man’s eyes. 

George laughed, eyes sparkling with mirth as he lifted the hat so he could see, smiling widely at Dream. “How do I look?” he asked teasingly. Dream leaned down, pushing their faces a lot closer than they had been before, smirking at the new redness that tinged George’s cheeks. 

“It’s cute,” he said, pausing. “Not as cute as you, though.”

George bit his laugh back, pulling this hat off and throwing it at Dream, who caught the object easily. “You’re so weird,” he chuckled, already moving on through the store. The shop-owner glared at them from behind the counter and Dream waved awkwardly. They probably couldn’t stay here much longer. The Taurus District was a beautiful place, filled with strong, sturdy structures that matched the Signs personality, but they weren’t too kind in the presence of other Signs. 

“We should get going,” Dream called to George, who hummed at him as he trailed his fingers over a display of candles. “It’s getting kind of late.” 

“Sure,” George said, still gazing at the shelves. He looked over his shoulder at Dream, throwing him a smile that knocked the breath out of his lungs. 

“Let’s get going.”

After getting George accustomed to the compliments that Dream enjoyed raining down on him, it was time to start with Phase Two of getting George to fall in love with him.

Physical touch.

He knew George wasn’t too keen on touching other people - he’d seen the way he hesitated before hugging Sapnap, even shaking hands with someone - but Dream was curious to see if it would be the same with him. 

He was starting to get antsy with how long this process was taking him, considering that any day now George could find someone new to be with and completely leave Dream behind, so he picked a bold move. 

It was a rare occasion, the two of them finding themselves at Dream’s apartment as opposed to George’s. George was in the kitchen popping popcorn on the stove for them to eat while Dream picked out a movie for them to watch. To anyone who might’ve seen them, they would’ve said that they were on a date.

Hopefully, that would be the case sooner rather than later. 

Once Dream had finished in the living room, he padded quietly into the kitchen, coming up behind George who stood at the stove, watching the kernels in the pan and waiting for them to pop in the oil. He jumped violently in surprise when Dream slid up to him and rested his chin on George’s shoulder, draping his arms around his middle. 

“Dream?” he said uncertainly. Dream made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat, deciding that if George hadn’t pushed him off by now then it was okay for him to stay. He rearranged his arms so that he was grasping his own wrists, holding George tight against his chest. George inhaled shakily, but still didn’t push him off, opting to go back to studying the popcorn kernels. Dream snorted softly at the red that was slowly crossing his cheeks again.

George was blushing again.

They stayed like that until the popcorn was done, Dream sighing in disappointment before he extracted his arms from around George and moved around the kitchen to grab a bowl for their snack. George didn’t say anything, refusing to make eye contact with Dream as he took the bowl from him. Dream wanted to cheer at George’s obviously flustered face. 

But he wasn’t done yet. 

The two of them settled on the couch in the living room, blankets spread across their laps and the bowl of popcorn in between them. George was enamored with the movie, eyes spread wide as he watched. Dream glanced over at him, slowly picking up the bowl of popcorn so he could put his plan into place. 

George barely noticed as Dream slid closer to him, didn’t say anything when their legs tangled together on the footrest. Dream bit his lip before making a bold move.

George finally looked at him when he picked up his hand, lacing their fingers together tenderly. For what seemed like the millionth time that night, heat spread across his face in yet another blush. Dream smiled softly at him and turned back to the movie, squeezing George’s hand and pressing their shoulders together so that they were as close as possible.  
Butterflies swarmed in both stomachs.

Maybe Dream’s plan wouldn’t take as long as he had anticipated it would.


	13. Chapter 13

George wasn’t sure what Dream was doing, but he certainly didn’t have any complaints. All the little touches, the looks, the compliments - all of it only made him want to be with Dream even more. 

The night Dream held his hand was the best night of his life. He felt like he was floating as he walked Dream to the door, smiled through their goodbyes, and wandered back upstairs to collapse on his bed in a dreamy daze. He felt like he was on top of the world, like nothing could ever destroy the feeling he had now.

He laughed breathlessly, pressing his face into a pillow. He felt like a teenage girl, gushing over her latest crush - which wasn’t too far off the bat. That’s exactly what he was doing at the moment.

He lay there for a while, zoning out as his thoughts consumed him, a blissful smile still painted on his cheeks.

“George?”

George jumped, sitting up in a flash, whipping his head around to look at the doorway. Dream stood there, smiling sheepishly. 

“Sorry,” he said, walking further into the room and shutting the door behind him. “I just had to do something before I left.”

George moved to stand up, brow creasing in confusion as Dream came to a stop right in front of him, reaching up to grab his face between his hands. George shivered - his skin was cold from the weather outside. 

“Dream?” he said quietly, heart beating loudly in his ears as he stared up at the taller man. 

His eyes widened as Dream exhaled quietly and leaned down, lips parted. 

“Wake up.”

George shook himself awake, shooting up straight in his bed, his face beet red.

He did not just have a dream about kissing Dream. He groaned, rubbing his face in embarrassment.

This was getting out of hand.

He glanced to his left, noting the sun just barely starting to rise outside his window. It was still early, but he doubted he would be able to go back to sleep. Maybe he should just get an early start on his day, forget about his dream. 

He went through the motions of his morning routine - showering, brushing his teeth, throwing on a sweater that Dream had bought him, eating a piece of toast for breakfast. He was still sitting at the kitchen counter, his toast hanging from his mouth, when his doorbell rang.

George frowned, swallowing his food as he moved out of the kitchen to go answer it. It was a little early for anyone to be here. 

He should have expected Dream to be standing on his doorstep, but he absolutely did not expect the giant five foot bear he held in his arms. Dream grinned.

“Hey Georgie,” he said, his breath leaving his mouth in a cloud in the cold of the morning. “I saw this on my way over here and thought it would make a nice addition to your bedroom.”

Dream was moving on to Phase Three of his plan - Gifts.

Maybe the bear had been a little overkill though. He watched George for his reaction from behind the massive stuffed animal, starting to sweat a little from how heavy it was. Finally, George laughed, the sound lifting Dream’s spirits immediately. The door was opened wider and George stepped aside so Dream could walk in.

“It’s massive,” the Scorpio remarked, looking astonished as the two of them walked upstairs to George’s bedroom. Dream nudged the door open with his foot, gasping for breath dramatically as he finally set the bear down on George’s bed. 

“It’s also heavy,” he wheezed, falling down beside the gift on George’s mattress, wrapping his arms around it. “But it’s soft, come feel.”

George rolled his eyes but walked over to trail his fingers over the bear. His eyes lit up in surprise. “It is soft,” he said. Dream grinned and grabbed George’s wrist, yanking him down onto the bed beside him, catching him before his face collided with the pillows. George yelped as he got tangled up in the blankets, scowling playfully at Dream when he laughed. 

“What was that for?” he complained, sitting up and glaring without heat at him. Dream laughed again.

“Why are you awake so early?” he asked instead, taking note of the time from the clock on George’s nightstand. “You’re usually still asleep by now.”

George turned away, biting his lip. Dream tried his hardest to ignore the simple action, dragging his eyes away from George’s lips and up to his face, which was pink. 

“I had a weird dream,” he muttered, standing up and brushing imaginary dust from his jeans. “If you knew I would still be asleep, why did you come over?”

Dream wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, making George laugh at his antics. “Maybe I wanted to surprise you,” he shrugged. “Or maybe I wanted to cuddle with you. I’m still tired, and we have this huge bear now.”

George rolled his eyes. “Cuddle with the bear then,” he snorted, walking over to his closet to pull out a hoodie, slipping it over his head. Dream whined from the bed in protest, reaching out to George.   
“I don’t want to,” he said pathetically, turning his lips down in a fake frown. George scoffed. “I want to cuddle with you, Georgie.”

George shook his head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Dream,” he said, thinking back to the dream he had had less than an hour ago. Dream was a naturally physical person - this wouldn’t mean something to him the same way it would mean to George. To Dream, it would just be cuddling for comfort. For George, it would be resting with someone he was in love with.

Two very different things. 

Dream groaned loudly. “George,” he called. “Come here.” 

George relented, moving back to stand at the edge of the bed, looking down at Dream with an exasperated look on his face. “I have to head out in a little bit,” he argued hopelessly. This was a lie - he didn’t have to leave for at least four more hours. Dream knew this. 

“Well, you can stay until then,” he said stubbornly, pushing the bear off the bed so he could crawl beneath the blankets like he did this all the time. He beckoned a hand at George, rolling his eyes. 

“Well?” he said expectantly. George hesitated before sighing, falling back into the bed, keeping as much space as he could between him and Dream. Dream wasn’t having this, immediately scooting closer to press his chest against George’s back. 

“Quit thinking so much,” he murmured into his ear. He could feel George’s heart pounding in his chest, and he smiled, resting his chin on the other's shoulder. George shivered as their legs tangled up together, Dream’s arms moving to pull George closer by his waist, a hand holding his hip while the other slid beneath his neck, allowing George to use his arm as a pillow.   
It was warm, George noted distantly as his eyes drifted shut. 

He wished he knew what Dream was thinking at that moment, but before he could even think about asking, he dozed off, Dream’s arms holding him close and keeping him warmer than any blanket ever could.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

George didn’t know what to do. He was paralyzed.

Dream was practically glued to his back, arms wrapped in a protective hold around his waist, chin resting on his shoulder as he slept, each exhale making George shiver as it brushed across his skin. He wiggled around, trying to slip out of the other’s arms, only for Dream to grunt softly and pull him closer. George huffed, his cheeks burning. His heart was pounding.

This wasn’t a good position for him to be in. The butterflies in his stomach were going crazy. He twisted around in Dream’s grasp, turning over onto his other side to face Dream, studying the peaceful face of the man he loved as he slept.

“Dream,” he whispered loudly, shaking the Leo gently. “Dream, wake up.”

Dream frowned, his nose scrunching up a bit as George poked his cheeks repeatedly. “Shut up,” he muttered, and George nearly choked when he pressed his face into the side of George’s throat. “You’re being too loud.”

“I have to leave soon,” George pointed out, biting his lip anxiously. Dream gave an exaggerated groan, the action vibrating through George’s skin and making him shudder. 

“How soon?” Dream asked, his voice muffled. George craned his neck behind him so he could read the clock on the nightstand.

“Twenty minutes.” He sighed. “We have to get up, Dream.”

Dream groaned again, but reluctantly let go, pulling back to stretch his arms over his head with a satisfied rumble echoing in his throat. “Where are we going today?” he asked casually, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. George sat up and watched as Dream walked around the room, picking up his discarded shoes and slipping them on.

“Capricorn District,” George replied, rubbing his arms as a chill set in. The air conditioning must have just switched on - the temperature seemed to have dropped in a split second, leaving goosebumps rising on his skin. 

Or maybe he just missed Dream’s warmth. 

Dream wasn’t sure what to do.

He had done everything he could - compliments, gifts, the occasional hand-holding - but George seemed to be immune to it all. The most he ever got out of the elusive Scorpio was a small red tint to his skin, but he had always been the blush-ey type, flushing at the smallest bit of contact or the slightest of kind words.

Dream studied him as George drove, dark eyes focused on the road and nothing else. 

“George,” he said suddenly, a burst of boldness erupting in his chest. George glanced over at him briefly before returning his gaze to the road. 

“What?”

“Would you ever want to be with me?”

George paused, frowning. “I’m with you all the time,” he said cautiously. “What do you mean?”

Dream hesitated, second guessing his actions now. “Like, romantically.”

George tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel, chewing on the inside of his cheek - a habit Dream had noticed the Scorpio did whenever he wasn’t sure how to respond to something. 

“Well,” George said slowly, brows furrowed in thought. “We’re not very compatible, are we?”

What the fuck, George?!

He wanted to smack himself, but for the sake of Dream’s safety he kept his hands on the wheel. However, he settled instead for beating himself up mentally.

The atmosphere had been tense and awkward the entire day, ever since the conversation in the car had ended with George mentioning how he and Dream weren’t compatible. Dream kept his distance as they walked through the Capricorn District, ignoring George’s attempts at conversation, and constantly walking a few steps behind with his head down. If George didn’t know any better, he’d say Dream was sulking, but that didn’t make any sense.

What did Dream have to sulk about? If anything, George should be the one pouting. He was the one who had messed up. He had the perfect chance to confess everything, tell Dream exactly how he felt -

And he blew it. Big time.

“Dream, look!” George tried, attempting a bright smile as he pointed at a display hanging in a random shop. Dream merely hummed in feigned interest and kept walking. George’s smile fell, his heart sinking.

They walked around the quiet District in silence, the sign of the Goat surrounding them in a suffocating manner. George wanted nothing more than to leave, to figure out what was going on with Dream, to explain himself.

He knew he wouldn’t though. He didn’t have the guts to do it. 

So when they finally got back in the car after yet another long day of walking through the District, exploring different shops and buildings, George said nothing, simply starting up the car and driving.  
It took an hour for Dream to be the bigger person and speak up.

“When you said we weren’t compatible, what exactly did you mean?”

George flinched, having gotten used to the silence and not expecting Dream to say anything to him. “I meant Sign-wise?” he answered, posing it as a question. “Leo’s and Scorpio’s, I mean. Not compatible. Or not very often, I mean I’m sure there’s people out there who’ve been together that weren’t supposed to be compatible, I’m just saying that usually our Signs together aren’t supposed-”

“George,” Dream broke in. “Be quiet.”

George snapped his mouth shut, looking at Dream out of the corner of his eye. “Sorry.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before George decided to ask something.

“Why did you ask, anyways?”

Dream pursed his lips. “It’s nothing, George. Forget about it.”

George scoffed and rolled his eyes. “It’s obviously something if you’ve been pouting about it all day,” he remarked, checking over his shoulder to look at his blind spot before switching lanes. “Can you just tell me so we can stop being so weird about it?”

“I said it’s nothing,” Dream said, sounding irritated. “Leave it alone.” 

“Just tell me!”

“No.”

“Is it really that big of a deal?”

“No.”

George wanted to scream in frustration. “Then why don’t you just tell me?”

“It was a serious question, George!” Dream snapped, looking annoyed with both George and himself. “I was genuinely asking whether you thought we would be...good together.”

“Why were you asking though?”

“Do I really have to spell it out for you?” Dream said, trying his best to sound bothered, but really just appearing depressed. 

“If I haven’t understood what you mean by now, then most likely,” George bit out. 

“George,” Dream said, exasperated. He rubbed his face. “Pull over.”

“What?” 

“Pull over!”

George jumped at the intensity of Dream’s voice. “Okay, okay!” he muttered, glancing out the back window before pulling off on the side of the road. He watched in confusion as Dream unbuckled his seatbelt. “What are you doing?”

Dream rolled his eyes again as he leaned over the center console, reaching up to grip George’s jaw gently. 

“I’m spelling it out for you,” he breathed, eyes meeting.

George barely had a second to blink before their lips collided in a kiss that burned them both to their very cores.


	15. Epilogue

CW: implied NSFW. no explicit scenes. 

He wasn’t really sure what happened after that, but he did know it involved a lot of speeding, clothes being removed in a lust-filled haze, and waking up in Dream’s bed. 

The bedsheets were wrapped around them both, and George winced as the soreness in his spine set in. 

And then the realization came. George’s eyes widened and he clapped a palm over his mouth as his head whipped to the side. Dream lay beside him, sleeping soundly with his arm tossed out across the mattress. George’s gaze trailed up the bare chest, mottled with different colored bruises that George could barely remember making. He inhaled sharply at the sight, and held his breath as the sound caused Dream to stir.

“George?” he mumbled, brows furrowing as he arched his back in a stretch, sighing in relief as it cracked. “What are you doing up?”

George tried not to grimace as he sat up, suddenly painfully aware of his absence of clothes. “It’s nothing,” he said quietly, sliding out of bed to pick his shirt up from where it had been discarded the night before. “Go back to sleep.”

He tensed as Dream moved up behind him, his arm snaking around his waist. “Where are you going?” he murmured, and George shivered at the kiss placed on his throat. 

“Home,” he said simply, reaching out blindly for his boxers. He found them, slid them on with a slight twinge of embarrassment. Dream retracted his lips, fingers brushing over the marks on George’s hips as he pulled his arm away.

“You’re leaving?” he said, sounding hurt. “Why?”

George sighed, Dream’s voice pulling on his heartstrings. “I just need to think, Dream,” he muttered. “This went way too fast. I should’ve had more sense than this.”

“More sense than what?” Dream asked, sounding confused. George stood up, grabbing his jeans from where they lay on the floor and tugging those on as well. 

“I should’ve thought about this,” he muttered, looking for his shoes. “This wasn’t a good idea.” he found his shoes and stepped into them, pulling on his jacket and opening the bedroom door.   
“I’ll talk to you later, Dream.”

The door shut with a sense of finality, leaving Dream confused and George with the overpowering need to drive himself off a cliff. 

How could he be so stupid? He opened his car door, slamming it closed in his irritation. He barely noticed how cold it was until he started the car and a blast of freezing air shot at him from the vents. He yelped, quickly smacking them shut and turning the air off with a shudder. 

As the car warmed up, George gripped the steering wheel, resting his hands on the cool leather. What was he thinking last night? 

Dream had kissed him out of nowhere, an action that had gotten too heated, way too quickly. It had seemed like forever before they pulled apart, George practically pressed up against the window, lips bruised. 

“Drive,” Dream had said, his voice deep and throaty. George nodded meekly and drove. 

Straight into Dream’s bed.

He didn’t stop for a single second to think about how Dream felt, to ask where this was going to go. 

What did this mean?

George groaned, lifting his head off the wheel and looking over his shoulder to pull out of the driveway. It was still early, but hopefully Niki would be awake by the time he reached her District. This couldn’t wait.

Dream wasn’t sure what he did that made George leave so suddenly. He gaped at the bedroom door in surprise, listening to George’s car start and back out of the driveway a few minutes later from outside his window.

What the hell?

He had thought that it was fine - George had been okay with it, even when Dream had explicitly asked if he wanted to stop. So what was the problem?

He sighed, running a hand through his hair and grimacing at the texture. He felt gross - a shower was long overdue. His clothes were still scattered all over the bedroom floor, his shirt torn a bit at the seams in their urgency to remove it. He shook his head as he picked it up, examining the rip at the bottom. He’d have to throw it out.

He was still deep in thought when he stepped into the shower, exhaling in relief as the hot water soothed his aching muscles.

Was George...not satisfied? He shook his head, rubbing the soap out of his hair before it could drip into his eyes. That couldn’t be it.

George had looked upset when he left. More anxious than upset, really. Had something happened that Dream didn’t know about?

He was panicking. Did he ruin whatever chance he thought he had? Did he read George completely wrong?

What did this mean? He was so confused.

George definitely was not expecting this when he arrived at Niki’s house.

The blonde woman opened the door looking every bit as disheveled as he did, blinking in the bright morning light and squinting to see him.

“George,” she said, sounding surprised and a bit awkward as she glanced over her shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting you, I’m sorry.”

George smiled, picking at his cuticles in slight discomfort. “I need to talk to you about something,” he said, looking ashamed. 

Niki looked torn, throwing another look back inside. “I actually-” she started, only to be cut off by someone George never thought he’d see again.

“George! I haven’t seen you in so long!”

George’s mouth fell open with an audible pop. “Ava?” he said, looking over at Niki for confirmation as the red-headed woman appeared next to his friend, a blindingly bright smile on her face. “Since when did you two know each other?”

Niki chewed her lip. “Only a couple weeks,” she mumbled. George watched, appalled, as Ava kissed her cheek and pulled her aside so there was room for George to walk in.

“Come in, Georgie - we have lots to talk about!”

“No kidding,” George muttered under his breath as he walked inside, slipping his shoes off at the door. He could feel his phone ringing in his back pocket, but he merely ignored it, dropping it on the coffee table in the living room as he sat down on the couch. Ava and Niki sat together on the loveseat, both looking a bit sheepish as they curled around each other.

The tension in the air was obvious. George crossed and uncrossed his legs nervously. 

“When did you guys get together?” he asked finally, looking up at them after a moment. The two women glanced at each other, sweet smiles on their faces. 

“About a week ago,” Niki repeated. “We’d been talking for a little bit before that, but I knew how you felt about Dream so I didn’t think you would be too pleased.”

George blinked. “I never had anything against you,” he said quickly, holding his hands up in a mock surrender. Ava nodded.

“Well,” she said slowly. “I guess I should thank you. If you and Dream had never met, then I probably wouldn’t have met Niki.” she grinned. “I’m very happy with her.”

George narrowed his eyes a bit at her. “Don’t treat her wrongly,” he warned. Ava scoffed, leaning closer to Niki and grasping her hand. 

“I would never.” she declared, making Niki cover her face in embarrassment as she flushed.

“What did you come here for anyways, George?” the blonde said, hurriedly changing the subject. George’s expression soured. 

“I slept with Dream last night.”

Ava and Niki both stared, neither saying anything for a moment. Niki stood up, eyes wide with shock. “Let’s talk about this upstairs,” she said as she crossed the room to pull George to his feet. He allowed himself to be dragged up the stairs, stumbling when Niki pushed him into her bedroom. Ava staggered after them.

Niki was examining the bruises that marked George’s skin, pulling the collar of his shirt this way and that to get a better look.

“Jesus,” she remarked. “You looked like you got mauled - by a leech!”

“What happened, George?” Ava asked. She didn’t look upset - she looked like she genuinely cared about the situation. This fact warmed George’s heart - he was glad there wasn’t any animosity between them. Ava seemed like she could be a very good friend at some point in the future. He was glad Niki had someone now.

“I don’t really know,” he admitted. “We went to the Capricorn District, and he was being really weird on the way there and kept asking if I thought we could be good together, so I told him that technically we aren’t compatible-”

Both women groaned at this. Niki wanted to strangle her friend. George continued. 

“-and he got all pissy! He kept pouting the entire time we were with the Capricorns, which, by the way, have really good pastries, remind me to bring you some sometime-”

“George,” Ava said gently. “The story.”

George clapped once. “Right! So he was sulking all day and then I asked him what his problem was and he kept saying it ‘wasn’t a big deal’” George used his fingers to form quotation marks here, rolling his eyes, “And then he told me to pull over and he kissed me out of nowhere!”

George breathed hard, having said all of this is nearly one breath. Ava sat on the bed, holding her chin in her hand.

“So what’s the big deal?” she asked. “You like him, he kissed you. What’s the problem?”

George looked at her like she was dumb. “Because I don’t know what it means!” he exclaimed. Niki rolled her eyes.

“You’ve always been really dense, George,” she said kindly, reaching out to pat his back. “But I think you’ve really hit a new low here. He obviously likes you - he wouldn’t have kissed you if he didn’t.”  
George rubbed his eyes, pressing on them with his palms out of frustration. He couldn’t figure out a way to get his point across without sounding stupid. How could he tell them he was worried that Dream was only…

Using him? No, that wasn’t it. 

He was concerned that Dream wasn’t over Ava yet. That’s it. He repeated his thoughts aloud, removing his palms from his eyes and glancing over at Ava to see her reaction. To his surprise, she burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” George said crossly. Ava giggled, pulling her legs up onto the bed so she could lean back against the pillows.

“George,” she said, amused. “Did Dream ever tell you why we broke up?”

George shook his head. “No, he just mentioned that you broke off the engagement. I figured it would be rude to ask.”

“We broke up because of you,” the Cancer said bluntly. “When you two had your fight - which, by the way was utterly childish - he was practically catatonic. He wouldn’t do anything because he missed you that much. It was just obvious that he didn’t have feelings for me anymore, and I couldn’t remember a time when he looked at me the way he looks at you.”

George sat on the edge of the bed, giving her an apologetic smile only for it to be waved off.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said, looking smitten as she glanced over at Niki, who still stood in the middle of the room. “I’m very happy with what I have now.”

“I’m glad,” George said sincerely. 

“So what now?” Niki broke in, still looking serious despite the kind words being thrown around. “What are you going to do, George? You know how he feels - have you told him how you feel?”

George shook his head. “I ran out of there as soon as I woke up,” he admitted sheepishly. “I didn’t know how to react.”

“You know how to react now though,” Ava said, reaching out to pat George’s arm in a comforting gesture. 

“Why don’t you go tell him?”

Dream sat on his couch all day, not really sure what to do with himself after George left. He left voicemails, text messages, missed calls, only to be ignored at every angle.

So of course he wasn’t expecting the Scorpio to show up at his house. It was late by that point, and Dream was about to come to terms with the fact that he had severely fucked up when his front door burst open. He shot to his feet at the sound of footsteps, nearly dropping his glass of water when he saw who it was.

Ava shoved George into the living room, smirking at Dream who was forced to catch the man before he tumbled to the ground. “Figure it out,” she ordered, giving him a hard stare before turning around and leaving.

She always was a force to be reckoned with. 

George carefully pushed himself away from Dream’s hold, mumbling an apology as he stared at the ground. Dream stood still, not really sure what to do.

“I’m sorry for leaving this morning,” George blurted, his cheeks burning. “I just… It all happened really fast, and I wasn’t really sure what to do or what to think, so I went and I talked with Niki and Ava - they’re together now, did you know?”

Dream blinked in surprise. “I didn’t know that,” he said slowly. “I hope that goes well for them.”

“Me too.”

They stood in an uncomfortable silence. Dream hated it.

This wasn’t how they usually were - he hoped that things weren’t going to change between them because of this.

“Why did you leave?” he asked in an attempt to break the silence. George gestured at the couch and they both sat, at different ends. His heart ached at the sudden distance between them.

“I didn’t really understand what had happened at the time,” George admitted, twiddling his thumbs. “I guess I didn’t really stop to think about what it meant - and I still don’t really know what it meant.”

Dream frowned. “I thought it was obvious,” he said. George laughed softly. 

“Yeah, well,” he looked up, giving Dream a smile that made the butterflies in his stomach flutter. “I’ve been told many times today that I’m pretty dense.”

“You’re telling me,” Dream muttered. “I’ve been dropping hints for weeks and you just - you never seemed to take them.”

George looked confused. “Hints?”

“The gifts, the compliments, me literally holding your hand,” Dream babbled, listing the items off on his hand. “You’re just an extremely difficult person to get to, apparently. Not that that’s a bad thing!” he backtracked quickly, noting George’s questionable expression. “I just...got a bit desperate, I guess. I just wanted you to understand.”

George exhaled shakily, his gaze sliding over to meet Dream’s. “Understand what?” he whispered. Dream gnawed on the inside of his cheek nervously.

“That I’m in love with you,” he admitted. “And I think I have been since I met you, but it just took me a while to realize it.” 

It took a second to process the touch of George’s hand in his hair, the feel of his lips moving to press against his own. He couldn’t even do anything, the kiss ended that quickly, and he made a disappointed sound in his throat when George moved away, picking up Dream’s hand and grasping it in his own. Dream’s heart stuttered in his chest at the sweet smile George gave him.

“I love you too, Dream.”

End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's the end! see next chapter for extra notes :) i hope you all enjoyed, and hope to see you again for the next fic (coming VERY soon) <3


	16. Final Note

Hey guys!

Thank you so much for reading this! I had a great time writing it and interacting with you guys as much as I could :)

A new fic will be posted pretty soon - I'm really looking forward to it, and I really hope you guys will like it!

As usual, here are my socials with any questions or if you just want to chat a bit (I'm always down) :)

Twitter: @/sin_city007  
Discord: sin#5465  
TikTok: sincity.007

And of course you can message me here as well :)

The Discord link should also be accessible from my Twitter profile now! We have a great time there (a lot of listening to music and watching Barbie movies for some reason), so join if you like. I'm also pretty active there as well!!

Again, thank you all for your support, and I'll be seeing you again very soon!

<3 sin


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